The vast majority of criminal cases in Illinois never make it to trial. Instead, most of these cases end in a plea deal where the defendant accepts guilt for a charge in exchange for a reduced sentence. But while a plea deal can be beneficial for many criminal defendants and spare them the worst possible...
Read MoreIt’s been said that “for every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth”. That’s pretty much true for everything, whether it concerns personal relationships, work or just life in general. If you lie to your significant other, you may end up ruining your relationship. If you lie...
Read MoreVarious forms of flat fees for criminal attorneys in Illinois are extremely common. In fact, it appears much less common for criminal attorneys to charge on an hourly basis. For other types of lawyers such a contested divorce or a general civil litigation attorney, being charged hourly is extremely common, but not so for criminal....
Read MoreThe general rule under the laws of the City of Chicago, as well as across the state of Illinois and the entire country is that the police aren’t allowed to just search you or your possessions, cars or homes just because they feel like it. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens (and non-citizens) against such unreasonable...
Read MoreIn a criminal case that took over two years to wind its way from the initial alleged crime to a conclusion in which he was found guilty by a jury, actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced recently to 30 months of felony probation, ordered to pay the City of Chicago $120,000 in restitution, assessed the maximum...
Read MoreYou can’t get a DUI for just feeling poorly. Whether you’re not feeling well because you have an illness or whether it’s because you drank too much alcohol, smoked too much cannabis or ingested controlled substances the night before, that alone should not be enough to substantiate a Drunk Driving charge. According to the laws...
Read MoreA public defender is a lawyer who works for the government in criminal defense or traffic defense. They are charged with representing criminal defendants who cannot afford to pay for a private attorney. Public defenders are paid by the government and are staff attorneys of the county for which they work, such as Cook, Lake,...
Read MoreIn every state, it is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, the penalty varies from state to state. If a police officer suspects that you are driving under the influence, you may be stopped and asked to submit to a breathalyzer test to measure your blood alcohol content. The charges...
Read MoreIf you have been charged with a criminal offense, it’s important to understand the difference between probation and parole. These two terms are often confused, even though they couldn’t be more different. One involves staying out of the penitentiary and the other involves how the court supervises a defendant’s conduct after being released from imprisonment....
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