Chicago Criminal Defense Lawyers
With A Reputation For Results In Tough Cases
Chicago readers may have heard that Attorney General Eric Holder recently voiced support for a reduction in sentences for low-level drug offenders charged with federal offenses. Holder’s position essentially calls for loosening the grip on mandatory minimum sentences. This is a major shift in drug policy, but as the Pew Research Center recently pointed out, it is a shift that…
Federal prosecutors are reportedly seeking additional prison time for a man who pleaded guilty to federal drug charges back in November. Although the case involves drug charges, prosecutors are basing their request for a higher sentence on the man’s alleged involvement in several killings. The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges would put the man in prison for 20 years,…
Last week, a Chicago-area officer was sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges that he resold drugs he had confiscated from drug dealers during the course of his work. Two other officers were also charged for their involvement in the incident. All the officers were hit with felony charges, which included conspiracy, theft and burglary, and…
Readers may remember that 35-year-old former Chicago Bears wide receiver David Terrell was arrested last October on charges of that he smoked marijuana in public. In addition, he and two others were reported to have been seen with materials used for packaging and distributing narcotics. After Terrell’s arrest, his attorney initially stated that there was no evidence that he had…
When it comes to criminal cases involving drug charges, the legality of police searches is an important issue defense attorneys look out for. While the rules police are required to follow are fairly well laid out, issues can arise from time to time, particularly as technology develops and officers have to contend with new or changed expectations of privacy. Right…
In Illinois, not everybody agrees on how to deal with the issue of drug-induced homicide. Some advocate zero-tolerance for suppliers, whereas others say that the issue involves public health considerations, and that it isn’t always clear cut–oftentimes the victim could have been charged as well. One of the outgrowths of the latter position is a law, passed in 2012, which…
In 2005, Newsweek called the “epidemic” of methamphetamine use “America’s new drug crisis.” A year earlier, a New York State Police captain described meth to the New York Times as making “crack look like child’s play.” A new report by the Open Society Foundations’ Global Drug Policy Program, however, exposes such remarks as mere hyperbole. In fact, after considering actual…
Five members of the same Illinois family are now facing drug charges after a search of an area house turned up prescription drugs, cannabis and cocaine. Police had been investigating the sale of illegal drugs, and as part of that investigation, got a search warrant for the house located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The search was executed on Jan. 23, and…
Possessing illegal drugs in Illinois can result in serious criminal charges. A recent drug case is an example of the criminal charges individuals can face for being in possession of illegal drugs like marijuana. A local man was recently arrested by Chicago police after they claim they found almost $1 million of marijuana in the man’s residence. The young man…
In our last post, we began speaking about the process by which police searches are evaluated for legality. As we noted, the issue of search legality is an important one in various criminal cases, particularly those involving drug offenses. The first question is always whether a search was conducted. The key to that issue is whether the defendant had a…