An 81 year old Chicago man was recently arrested in Arlington Heights and charged with the criminal offense of Retail Theft (also known as shoplifting). Whereas a “regular” theft involves taking something of value from another person without permission or authority, a retail theft involves taking something of value from a retail establishment. That place...
Read MoreWe are often called by clients who were recently arrested or who have an outstanding warrant for their arrest and asked “how are they going to arrest me with no evidence?” Well, if you’ve already been arrested, the answer is simple: they just did. That’s how. But keep in mind that an arrest or a...
Read MoreYou get a call from the Police. They’d just like you to come down to the station and answer a few questions. That’s all. You’re not in trouble, the officer says. Don’t worry. They just need to clear up a few things that they have questions about and to hear your side of the story....
Read MorePeople charged with criminal and traffic matters in Chicago and in other courts across the state of Illinois ask us this question often. After all, money is tight for many people these days and if it’s possible to do something yourself and end up with the same result, many people would like to do that....
Read MoreAt least for the foreseeable future, it appears that video conferencing apps such as Zoom will be a part of the legal landscape. When the worldwide pandemic hit early this year, everyone and everything was affected, including the court systems in Chicago and all Northern Illinois counties such as Cook, Lake, DuPage, Will, Kane and...
Read MoreWhen a person is charged with a criminal or traffic matter in Illinois, the defendant’s attorney will typically seek out the state’s attorney or local prosecutor in an attempt to negotiate a plea agreement and avoid a trial if at all possible. Then, depending upon the negotiating skills of the defense attorney, the receptiveness of...
Read MoreOur court system (as well as our society in general) was completely unprepared for a pandemic. Few people in government and science had the forethought to anticipate the devastation that a disease like Covid could visit upon us, and of those who spoke up, most seem to have been largely ignored. So, when the tidal...
Read MoreIf you did not read part 1, you can find that information here. What Will Happen to me in Court? Typically, if this is your first instance of this traffic offense, our legal team will be able to negotiate with the prosecutor and get you just a small fine and a sentence of supervision, which...
Read MoreEvery city in Illinois, from Chicago to Arlington Heights to Joliet is governed by the State’s Mandatory Insurance laws. Basically, the Illinois Secretary of State trusts that its citizens are in compliance and have valid insurance on their vehicles that meet basic policy limits. Normally, our DMV (Illinois Secretary of State) doesn’t take part in...
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