Being charged with or investigated for a criminal offense is scary and stressful. However, before a person is ever acquitted or convicted, he or she could have critical and often substantial assets retained by state or local law enforcement agencies, which can only...
No one wants to be sentenced to jail or prison for a criminal offense. In fact, people will often do whatever they can to avoid being put behind bars if they are facing felony or misdemeanor charges. In some cases, people will agree to incarceration alternatives...
In our last post, we took a closer look at the insanity defense. In that post, we discussed when this defense may be appropriate and the rules that are observed in Illinois courts regarding the insanity defense.In this post, we want to remind readers that being found...
Defending against criminal accusations can be extraordinarily complicated. However, with thorough understanding of state and federal laws -- or representation by an attorney with this knowledge -- it is certainly possible to craft an effective defense. One...
Being unfairly convicted or sentenced is one of the worst injustices a person can experience. An unfair conviction or sentence can cost years of a person’s life that he or she can never get back, not to mention a criminal record that can forever hold the person...
In a recent post, we explored the extensive damage that can be done when a person is accused of sexual misconduct. However, it is crucial for anyone in this position to remember that being accused of these crimes is not the same as being guilty of them.Several...
There have been two high-profile cases in the news recently in which a grand jury played a prominent role. Both cases involved a white police officer who killed an unarmed black suspect during an altercation. The first of these cases was the fatal shooting of a...
Reputation is a very powerful tool for people who are influential, wealthy or high-profile. They can make much of their living based on what people think about them and must be very careful about protecting their image. But all it takes is an allegation of...
One of the things about the law that may seem paradoxical is just how stretchy the fabric of justice can be. The language of a given law does not change, but the way it is applied does not stay static. Over time, new challenges may be brought and different courts may...
One of the cornerstones of the U.S. law enforcement system is that police are not supposed to be able to place a person in custody without probable cause.That's such a common term that many people in Chicago may think they know what it means, but do they really? If...
