Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog

For many, burglary and theft are two very different things – one just means taking things that don’t belong to you, while the other refers to breaking into a house or store to take those things. While there is some truth to that line of reasoning, it’s not completely correct. The legal definition of burglary…

Halloween has never been a time to be on your best behavior. Running around the neighborhood at night, pulling pranks, and dressing up in scary costumes are all part of the Halloween tradition. As with any sort of mischief, though, teens can quickly take the spirit of the holiday too far. Because of this, it’s…

Once one of the most popular singers in the world, R. Kelly is now making headlines for all the wrong reasons. While rumors about Mr. Kelly’s misconduct have been around for years, he has never been convicted of any crimes. This could all change when he goes to trial over the latest allegations against him…

Many people use the terms “theft,” “robbery,” and “burglary” interchangeably in daily conversations. Which makes sense. After all, each term – in general – addresses the same topic. Legally speaking, however, the terms describe three different and specific types of criminal offenses. If you’re facing criminal charges related to stealing something, you need to know…

You’ve served your time and paid off fines for your crimes. Everything should go back to normal, right? Not so much. Even if you are only arrested, or if you are charged but acquitted on those charges, it creates a criminal record. A record that will follow you if you don’t take action. Having a…

Any organization that provides counseling to Chicago youth is generally regarded as one with great ethics — until they take $4 million from the state of Illinois, that is. This is the unfortunate story of a suburban youth counseling center in Matteson. The organization’s co-owners, along with a top employee at the organization, have recently…

Your child has top grades, a slew of extracurriculars, and the SAT/ACT scores they need to get into the school of their dreams. If they also have a juvenile record, though, their chances of getting into college at all are severely compromised. Did you know that most colleges require applicants to disclose their criminal history,…

Domestic violence cases are increasing nationwide and are being highlighted in the media as a major problem in society today. In turn, domestic violence has received broader attention from lawmakers — and rightfully so. There is a hidden epidemic, though: men can also be domestic violence victims. In fact, the subject of domestic violence against…

Shoplifting is common; so much so that many people see it as being no big deal. However, shoplifting is in fact a criminal offense taken very seriously by retailers and the state of Illinois. Were you aware that shoplifting as little as $300 in merchandise is an automatic felony punishable by 2-5 years in prison?…

Generally, mandatory minimums are associated with federal courts. However, Illinois state courts also impose mandatory minimum sentencing for drug trafficking convictions. Mandatory minimums are controversial, as judges are forced to impose a minimum sentence for a particular set of crimes (in this case drug trafficking), which is typically quite severe. These minimums are imposed regardless…