Most people I encounter appreciate the seriousness of a felony charge and understand that a felony conviction may result in prison time. However, many people do not understand the difference between a pretty offense and a misdemeanor. Can I go to jail? How much is...
The state of Illinois and federal government are cracking down on human trafficking. In particular, Illinois is prosecuting defendants for recruiting, harboring, moving or obtaining a person, by force, fraud or coercion, for the purposes of involuntary servitude, debt...
I represent EMTs, nurses and doctors before the State Medical Board of Ohio. Medical professionals often ask me for advice about a certain question on their license renewal application. In short, the question is, “have you been convicted of a misdemeanor involving...
Most of my clients do not have a lot of experience with the criminal justice system. In fact, when I sit down for an initial consultation to go over their prior arrest record almost half of them have never been arrested for even a traffic offense. A diligent criminal...
Finding the right lawyer for your case is difficult. It is a personal, financial and, more often than not, a business decision, for most people. From a traffic ticket to a Will people use attorneys to help them navigate a variety of legal scenarios. Similarly, from...
People enter the criminal justice system from a variety of different backgrounds. Statistically, most people charged with drunk driving a.k.a. influenced driving a.k.a. driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or a combination of both, are first time offenders...
Who gets arrested in Cook County? How about DuPage County? Are more men arrested than women? More Blacks than whites? Some organizations keep a records of arrests, but generally it is difficult get precise numbers on the number of local, city or statewide arrests....
When I sit down with clients they are sometimes baffled by what they are charged with, especially, when the underlying conduct involves the taking of another person’s personal property. What is the difference between Robbery, Aggravated Robbery, Larceny, and Theft? In...
Most of the time defendants feel that they are overcharged and many times they are right. Other times, clients feel that their conduct was not as “bad” as the charge sounds. One example of this is burglary. In Illinois, Burglary is charged as 720 ILCS 5/19-1. 720 ILCS...
If you are charged with a criminal or traffic offense in Cook County you will likely be sent to one of the six district courts. The Circuit Court’s six districts and the areas which they serve are: First Municipal District – Chicago City of Chicago Second Municipal...