Posted on June 16, 2013 in Criminal defense lawyer

We often hear the terms “first degree murder” and “second degree murder” on the news, on television shows, and in the movies, but not many people know the small yet major differences between the two crimes. It is important to know the specific criteria for each of these two crimes, and your Cook County criminal attorney can help you with any questions you may have.

By definition, first degree murder is murder that is planned and committed against one or more persons, under a few various special circumstances. These special circumstances can include, but are not limited to, combining murder with other offenses such as kidnapping, hijacking, robbery, involving extreme torture, and a few others. The crime is considered even more serious if the offender has committed a similar crime in the past.

Second degree murder, on the other hand, is premeditated murder against spouse or relatives, or due to personal gain and interest, without the special circumstances aforementioned. Typically, second degree murder is seen as less grave than first degree, but not by much.

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 Posted on May 30, 2013 in Criminal defense lawyer

Find the article here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-cellphone-ban-0530-20130530,0,334411.story

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 Posted on May 13, 2013 in Criminal defense lawyer

Juvenile plea agreements are made between the juvenile defendant and the state’s attorney. In a plea agreement, the juvenile defendant will plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence. These agreements must be approved by a judge, after which a hearing date will be set.

Trials will only occur for the following reasons:

• the youth chooses not to plead guilty,
• the youth does not agree to the plea agreement,
• the youth was not separated from the system,
• or the prosecutor did not dismiss all of the charges filed against the child.

Because juveniles do not have the constitutional right to a jury trial, juvenile trials are bench trials. Law states that these trials must occur within 120 days of the child’s demand for a trial, although in some instances this date can be held off for an additional 30 days. However, in the cases of violent juvenile offenders, habitual juvenile offenders, and extended juvenile jurisdiction prosecution, the juveniles do have the right to a trial with a jury.

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