Felony Offenses

• What is a Felony

A felony is a crime with a potential punishment greater than one year in prison.  Felonies are the most serious types of crimes and require that a person charged with a felony must be represented by a lawyer.  There are life-long implications to any felony arrest and an experienced criminal defense attorney should be consulted.

• What if I am arrested for a Felony

Once a person is taken into custody for a felony arrest, the person will be handcuffed and taken to the Police agency that has appropriate jurisdiction or the Police Department that made the felony arrest.

It is imperative to contact a competent, experienced, and aggressive criminal defense lawyer.  When contacted by a family seeking advice for an arrested family member in the middle of the night, I will be a voice of experience to counsel through the first night and ultimately - the disposition of the case - empowering my client to make the right decisions. Upon request, if desired by the family, I will escort the family to the Police Station and provide notice to the arresting agency or Police that I have been retained for the arrested person and absolutely NO INTERROGATION is to take place without consent or my presence.

One of the most important services I can provide to my client is knowledge of the criminal justice process.  The trial preparation starts early - evidence must be preserved, witness statements must be taken.  I have exceptional investigation resources.  I have access to private detectives and retired police officers, who will conduct an independent and unbiased investigation.  I have established relationships outstanding forensic scientists in their respective fields. This is the time to start the investigation and preserve the necessary evidence.  As an experienced criminal defense lawyer, I have the experience, leadership and strength to bring these resources together to best represent you at trial. 

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO FOR AN ARRESTED PERSON IS IMMEDIATELY RETAIN AN AGGRESSIVE AND EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER. CONTACT ME TODAY. 

I travel to the Police Agency where my client is being held.  Introducing myself, educating the arrested person, and just letting him or her know what to expect, and that I have started working for them, is a great source of strength, comfort and knowledge during the early stages of a criminal case. 

Once at the Law Enforcement Agency, the person will be placed in an interview room and after a period of time will be interrogated by the Police Agency. If the arrested person DOES NOT WISH to be interrogated, he or she MUST CLEARLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY STATE that they wish to have a lawyer present and DO NOT want to answer any questions without a lawyer.

When a person is arrested for a felony he or she must appear before a Judge to set bail.  Each of the different counties in the State has a different Bond Court practice.  The arrested person will remain in Police custody until such time as they appear in front of a Judge and bail is set, and ultimately posted. Having an aggressive criminal defense attorney appear at Bond Court helps to protect rights early on.

• Bail

A person arrested for a felony in Illinois has a right to have a Judge make a determination that a crime has been committed and the amount and conditions of bail.  The amount posted is based upon several factors that are to be considered by the Court in determining the amount of bail. This is the time when the value of a skilled, experienced criminal lawyer will become apparent. By presenting to the Court evidence a skilled attorney has an excellent chance of having bail set in a reasonable amount. CONTACT MY OFFICE TODAY.

• Pre-Trial Felony Practice

As an experienced criminal defense trial attorney, this is the phase of the case that the police reports and reports of experts are examined and discussed with the client, and if desired, plea negotiations would commence with the prosecuting authority.  During this time, communication with the client is paramount.  I take great pride in communicating with, and more importantly, listening to my clients, to help them achieve their goals.

• Felony Trial Practice

• Felony Sentencing 

After trial my service for you continues. There are two primary components to crimnal defense representation.  The first of these components is the determination of guilt or innocence.  If there is a determination of guilt, the case will proceed to the Sentencing phase.  I have 15 years experience presenting mitigation evidence, personalizing my client, examining sentencing alternatives and advocating for the best possible disposition for your case.  As your criminal defense lawyer, I will zealously and passionately advocate for the best possible resolution of your case.  I will aggressively pursue any and any all sentencing alternatives that will best serve you and your future.  I am exceptionally proud of the results I have obtained, and the level of skill I have achieved, in representing my clients at the sentencing phase of their case, if necessary.

Have questions or would like to make an appointment? Call me today at 630.933.9800 for your FREE consultation or use my contact form.