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Cases
Murder
/ Homicide
People vs. Picken
Our client was charged with Murder and Aggravated
Vehicular Hijacking. The government accused
our client of hijacking an elderly man's vehicle
and killing him in the process. The charges
arose from an investigation that spanned a 7 year
period. The government alleged that our client was returning from a drug run for methamphetamine when his car broke down and that our client forcibly hijacked an elderly man's
car in order to complete the drug run. During
the commission of the offense, prosecutors alleged
that our client smothered the victim and dumped
his body in a corn field. After approximately
1 year of aggressive defense work, JLG attorneys
and investigators were able to get the murder charge
dismissed. Result: Murder
charge dismissed.
People vs. Beal
JLG attorneys were faced with a difficult fact
pattern when prosecutors charged our client with
walking into a diner and shooting another man
who supposedly had had an affair with his wife.
The difficulties were enhanced because our client
committed the act in the presence of multiple
friends and family members and was known as an
active arms dealer. After months of negotiations
our attorneys were able to convince the State
to aggree to a minimum possible sentence.
Result: Minimum sentence
by statute was imposed.
People v. Whalen
Our attorneys have been fighting with the government
in order to require the State to order DNA testing
on numerous implements found on or about a murder
scene. Prior to retaining JLG, our client
was convicted at trial of murdering his father
at his father's place of business, The Grand Tap
Bar, by bludgeoning and battering him with knives
and utilities until he was dead.
Result: The trial
court ruled in our favor and has ordered DNA testing
and we are awaiting the results in hopes of setting
our client free.
Additionally, our attorneys have provided representation
in multiple death-penalty cases.
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Felony
Drug cases
Our attorneys have represented hundreds of clients
who have been charged with felony drug offenses.
In these cases our attorneys have obtained outstanding
results which have included dismissals (outright
& delayed) of all charges in exchange for
our client agreeing to undergo drug treatment
in lieu of prosecution. i.e. -People vs. K.Bergson
- felony possession of mushrooms; People vs. C.
Glynn - felony possession of cocaine; People vs.
M. Ewen - felony possession of heroin and hypodermic
needles.
People vs. Daugherty
A thirty year-old mother of three was charged
with receiving a large package via UPS which contained
8 lbs of marijuana. Despite our client being adamant
that she did not know her boyfriend was sending
marijuana to her house from Arizona, our attorneys
were not able to convince the prosecutor that
our client did not "knowingly" possess
the marijuana. We were required to set the case
for trial and seek an acquittal. The trial court
found our client guilty and our attorneys filed
motions to get the Court to reconsider the guilty
finding.
Result: Our attorneys convinced
the same Judge who found Ms. Daugherty guilty
at trial to "overrule himself" and find
our client not guilty. Our attorneys never gave
up on this case, and this innocent woman was able
to return home to her children.
People vs. Bowman
Client was charged with possession and delivery
of cocaine. He was also implicated in certain
shootings. Over a period of time, JLG was able
to convince the prosecutor that they had enough
holes in their case that it resulted in a dismissal
of the State's charges.
Result: Case dismissed.
People
vs. Chang
JLG client was caught "red handed" selling an
ounce of cocaine to an undercover detective.
The charge carries a mandatory 6 yrs in prison.
Result:
JLG attorneys successfully convinced the
prosecutors not to file charges for over
1 ½ yrs from the time of the incident.
This has allowed our client the opportunity
to work and obtain his college degree as an alternative
to a lengthy jail sentence.
People vs. Ngiye
JLG client was charged withPossesion of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, a
Class 1 Felony. Client was also charged
with a Misdemeanor and Speeding Ticket. With our
client looking at several years in a state prison, JLG went to work. Our client was a college student with no prior criminal history. After extensive background investigations on our client, receiving an overwhelming amount of support from friends and family, several months of litigations and lengthy negotiations our Attorney, convinced the state of Illinois to drop all charges except one.
Result:
Our client was found guilty of Speeding
in which he received 90 days court supervision,
plus fines and court cost. No Jail
time served. No Felony conviction and best of
all, no Criminal Record.
Possession of Methamphetamine
Faced
with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance
(Methamphetamine 100-400 grams), which ranks as
a felony in the first degree, a conviction would
have meant no less than six years in prison for
our client. Making matters worse, the defendant
was eventually indicted by the federal government
for Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine,
a class X felony, and Manufacture of Methamphetamine
with Intent to Deliver, also a class X felony.If convicted, the defendant was facing a possible
sentence of life imprisonment. With their experience
and the use of an aggressive defense, Johnson
Law Group attorneys successfully turned the tables.
Result:
All charges were dismissed.
Possession Cannabis & Paraphernelia
Result:
No Jail Time Served.
Charge: Drug Trafficking
Client was charged with Drug-Trafficking in marijuana,
a felony in the fourth degree. We advised our
client not to go for a trial in this case, but
to agree to a plea. Our client pled guilty to
a crime of lesser degree with a sentence of six
months driver's license suspension and a small
fine.
Result:
No jail time was served!
Charge: Possession with Intent to Deliver - Controlled
Substance
Initial charges included Unlawful Possession of
a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver,
a felony in the first degree, Illegal Transportation
of Alcohol, a class A misdemeanor and a
moving violation for speeding. Johnson Law Group
performed extensive background work, several
litigations, and lengthy negotiations.
Result: All charges
except one were dismissed. Our client received
several months of court supervision for a speeding
ticket.
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Theft/Robbery/Fraud
Crimes
People vs. Renner
Client was charged with forging a certificate
of title for a Piper Airplane. He was also charged
with stealing an airplane valued in excess of
$100,000 from a local attorney in a small town.
The prosecutor tried to use the power of the criminal
court to extort civil restitution from our client
on behalf of a "good ole boy" network.
Our attorneys went in strong from day one and
filed a motion to dismiss the chase.
Result: All charges were
dismissed.
People vs. Grandlas
This case began with the threat of charges being
brought against our client. The client
had admitted to 5 separate credit card agencies
and 1 internet loan company that he had
used another individual's identity for the purpose
of financial gain.
Result: After 8 months
of extensive negotiation, JLG's investigators
and attorneys were able to convince all lenders
not to pursue charges. JLG was able to convince the lenders to open lines of credit in
the client's name and transfer all outstanding
debt over to the client's accounts.
United States vs. House
The Federal Government charged our client with
8 counts of mail fraud which alleged that
he converted in excess of $3 million dollars of
client investment monies from a Hedge fund
for his own personal use.
Result: Through early intervention
and aggressive negotiations, JLG attorneys were
able to avoid indictments on the much more serious
federal charges of money laundering and
conspiracy. As a result, our client's prison term
was seriously reduced. This case had national
attention and was featured in CBS Market Watch
and Forbes magazine.
Theft
People vs. Dooley
JLG Attorney and Investigators worked together
as a team with the client, a medical professional
who was charged with 8 counts of Felony Theft.
With a conviction of a felony, the client's
career would end immediately. After
14 months of an extensive investigation by JLG
staff, the client agreed to waive a trial
in exchange for a plea bargain.
Result: 7 felony counts
dismissed, and agreed to plea to a Class A misdemeanor
with No Conviction to be entered after completing
Court Supervision. The client was
able to stay employed in the medical career field
and actually went to a higher paying job.
People vs. Cadona
Client was accused of stealing a wallet while
holding a knife to a victims throat. After
intervening in the police investigation, JLG attorneys/investigators
and case managers were able to convince
the government to not file any charges.
Result: No charges
were ever filed.
People vs. Uddin
Client was charged with Retail Theft after giving
a full confession and videotaped placing
items from the shelves into his pockets and leaving
the story.
Result: JLG
Attorney was able to convince the State to dismiss
the charges of Retail Theft and the clients record was expunged.
People vs. Heil
Client wascharged with receiving stolen property,
buying/selling property with Removed or Altered
Serial number and Theft. JLG Attorney and
investigator tracked down the original owner of
the trailer and showed that our client was completely
unaware that the trailer he purchased was stolen
and in fact showing he was also a victim.
Result: JLG
attorneys convinced the prosecution to drop all
charges and now defendant is in civil court to
recover financial damages for the loss of trailer
and attorneys fees.
Burglary/Robbery
People vs. Hilgers
This twenty year-old client was charged with
residential burglary, which is a non-probationable
criminal offense with a sentencing range of four-to-fifteen
years in prison. Client confessed in full, so
our representation concentrated on doing major
damage control.
Result: We were able to
convince the State to dismiss the residential
burglary charge and our client was only required
to do fourteen days in jail.
People vs. Schmillen
Client was charged with attempted residential
burglary. The victim caught our client in the
process of committing the crime and was able to
positively ID him from a lineup after police caught
him hiding nearby. These damning facts were escalated
by the fact that our client was already on Probation
for a prior Burglary and was therefore facing
a lengthy prison sentence. JLG attorneys were
able to present significant mitigating factors
to the prosecutor.
Result:
Client was sentenced to 4 months of boot camp
= military type training instead of lengthy prison
sentence.
People vs. Hall
Our client was accused of helping two individuals rob a pizza delivery boy after beating him with a tire iron. Our attorneys were able to convince the detectives not to file charges against our client despite his participation.
Result:
No charges were ever brought.
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Felony Sex Crimes
People vs. Mabe
Mr. Mabe was convicted of a sex offense in another
State and when he moved to IL, the authorities
in IL required him to register as a sex offender
in the State. Registering as a sex offender is
a huge burden and although our client registered
his residence, he failed to register a change
of employment and he was charged with a Sex Offender
Registration charge. Our attorneys were required
to research the sex offender registration laws
as they pertain to multiple States, and we were
able to find a technicality which allowed our
client to not be required to register as a sex
offender any longer.
Result: The guilty finding
was vacated and the case dismissed, with no need
to register as a sex offender in the future.
People
vs. Puccini
Client was accused of sexually molesting
a 16 year old male.
The client had been interviewed by local
law enforcement officials & the Department
of Child and Family Services. Each investigative agency had already determined our client was guilty and advised our client that they were forwarding their report to the State’s Attorney with the recommendation of pursuing charges.
Result: Within
one month of retaining Johnson Law Group, JLG
investigators were able to bring enough evidence
to the State’s Attorney to prove that the alleged
victim had fabricated the story, resulting
in the state dismissing the case and written documentation
that the state would not pursue charges.
Criminal
Sexual Assault
People
vs. Adomany
Client had been dating a female that was 1 year
younger since he was 16 years of age.When
our client turned 18, he moved to a different
state to attend college.His girlfriend
was still in high school.After a few months, client
terminated the relationship with his now
17 year old girlfriend, making her and
her family very angry.The girl and her family
put pressure on the State’s attorney to
bring charges against our client for Criminal
Sexual Assault.After being contacted by
law enforcement, client immediately retained the
services of the Johnson Law Group.Client
had already admitted to having a consensual
sexual relationship with the girl which was a
clear violation of the law because of her
age.
Result: State’s attorney
had the right to pursue charges under the law
and would have had an extremely strong case due
to the confession, however after 3 months of hard
negotiation, JLG was able to convince the State
to not pursue charges.
People vs. Jolley
Client was charged with Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault. JLG attorneys compiled statements and massive amounts of discovery in this case and sifted through it with a fine tooth comb. As the investigation went on, more and more inconsistencies began to appear in the victim's story. JLG's attorneys conducted one interview with the State's Attorney and the victim, which brought this case to a close. The victim admitted that no crime ever took place.
Result: Charges
dismissed by the State.
People vs. Cintron
Our client was accused of sexually assaulting a minor female child. JLG attorneys and case managers intervened in order to ensure that our client’s rights would be protected.
Result: No charges
were ever filed against our client.
People vs. A. Bates
JLG
client was charged with having illegal
sexual contact with a minor child. This was a
case that our attorneys had to push to
trial in hopes of obtaining a "not guilty" verdict.
Result: When
the prosecutor saw how prepared our attorneys
were on the day of trial, they dismissed the case
and never re-filed any charges against our client.
People vs. K. Kargbo
JLG client was an African American college athlete
that was charged with having sex with a
white minor female after she became intoxicated
and passed out at a party.
Result: Although
the victim's family was adamant about seeing our
client spend some time in jail, our attorney's
were able to get the felony charges dismissed
in exchange for a misdemeanor charge and
no jail time was imposed.
People vs. Creamer
JLG client was charged with having sex with his
minor stepdaughter.
Result: Our
attorneys were able to persuade the prosecutor
not to file felony charges in the case. As a result,
our client was able to keep his job and continue
providing financial support for his family.
People vs. S. Powell
JLG client was charged with a felony offense for
willfully failing to register as a sex
offender.
Result: Although
our client was faced a conviction for his 2nd
major felony offense, our attorneys were
able to convince the court to impose a minimal
jail sentence of 10 days.
People vs. R. Heflin
Allegations were made that our client had oral
and vaginal sex with his minor stepdaughter.
Result: Our
attorneys were able to intervene prior to any
charges being filed and our attorneys aggressively
demonstrated the reasons why charges should not
be filed. This resulted in "No Charges" being
filed against our client.
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Driving offenses
DUI/DWI
People vs. Sery
Client was charged with DWI/DUI while having a
minor in his vehicle. The strict law pertaining
to this scenario could have required our client
to serve a mandatory minimum jail sentence of
180 days in county lockup, despite the fact that
our client had no prior criminal record--not even
a parking ticket.
Result: JLG attorneys convinced
the judge to apply an interpretation of the law
that would allow him to impose a sentence that
included zero jail time. The government appealed
the Judge's decision and lost, and then appealed
again. The case is pending in the Supreme Court,
where the fight goes on.
People vs. Saarinen
Client was a local restaurant owner and his driver's
license was a vital part of his business. Second
and subsequent DWI/DUI offenses require stiff
penalties including the revocation of a person's
driver's license. This case definitely required
a trial in hopes of dodging the bullet.
Result: We won this case
at trial and our client was found not guilty.
People v. Day
Client was charged with his 2nd DUI. Our attorneys
filed motions to suppress evidence and to rescind
the 3 year statutory summary suspension of our
client’s driver’s license on the basis of certain
legal technicalities. The trial judge granted
both motions and the State was disallowed from
using any evidence including video taped field
sobriety tests and the breath test results. The
judge also ordered that our client’s driver’s
license suspension be lifted.
Result - All charges dismissed.
People v. Dugeon
Client was charged with his second DUI. After
a long fought battle, the jury came back with
a surprising verdict of guilty. JLG attorneys
did not stop there. We filed motions for judgement
not withstanding the jury verdict and we excitingly
were able to convince the judge who presided over
the jury trial to overturn the jury verdict.
Result – DUI dismissed
outright and court supervision (non conviction)
for the charge of illegal transportation of alcohol.
People v. Astroth
Our client was charged with DUI and Illegal Transportation
of Alcohol. Since this was not his first DUI offense,
the stakes were high because a conviction would result
in the loss of his license for 3 years and his
employment required him to have a driver’s license..
Case was set for a Jury Trial. Jury selection
was completed and opening arguments were made.
Strangely enough, during the next break and before
any witnesses were called the prosecutor approached
our Attorney and offered to dismiss the DUI charge.
It must have been a heck of an opening statement.
Result – DUI dismissed
outright and court supervision (non conviction)
for the charge of illegal transportation of alcohol.
People vs. Golar
Client had 4 prior DUI/DWI charges and 2 prior
driving after his license was revoked.
Client was charged with a new charge for driving
w/o a license and the State was seeking
180 days in jail. Although State law required
a jail sentence, JLG attorneys were able
to obtain a sentence where no jail was served.
Result: Client was
given the opportunity to complete public service
work instead of serving a jail sentence.
People vs. Spellman
Client was found parked in a convenient store
parking lot, sleeping behind the wheel
of his car with a half full beer can in his cup
holder. Client was awakened by two
police officers, then they requested a field sobriety
test. Unfortunately, the client did
not perform the test very well and was also videotaped
unable to answer questions correctly.
After JLG was retained, it was discovered
that this was the client's 5th DUI arrest which
in the State of Illinois was a felony that
meant the client would have to spend mandatory
time in jail.
Result:
Charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, small
fine and probation.
People vs. Forren
Client was charged with 1 count of DUI, 1 count
of BAC over .08 and 1 count of operating
an uninsured vehicle. This being his 2nd
conviction would see his license revoked
for at least 1 year. Client had been found
by the police sitting in the driver’s seat
of a parked car with the keys in the passenger
seat next to him. Client failed the field
sobriety tests and refused the breathalyzer
at the scene. Later at the police station,
client provided a breath sample of .121.
JLG attorneys analyzed the situation and
were able to get a new charge of reckless driving
added to the charges, which is a lower
offense than DUI and does not result in revocation
of driving privileges.
Result: Client's
plea was reckless driving with all remaining counts
dismissed, with no loss of driving privileges.
People
vs. M. Cox
JLG
client was charged with his 4th Driving
While Intoxicated offense.
Result: JLG
attorneys were able to obtain a disposition where
our client was not required to spend any time
in jail.
People vs. Penn
Client was charged with his 2nd DUI after police
found him and his vehicle in a roadside
ditch. Police administered the Field Sobriety
Tests and arrested our client. JLG attorneys
first obtained a driving permit and then set the
case for trial.
Result: Client acquited
of all charges at trial. Driving privileges restored.
People vs. S. Brand
Client was charged with a 3rd Driving Under the
Influence of Alcohol offense with an almost
certainty of jail time.
Result: Although the prosecutor
argued for a 3-year sentence in the Department
of Corrections, our attorneys were able to obtain
a disposition where our client was allowed to
serve a minimal jail sentence which included being
released to go to work during his regular work
hours.
People vs. Casson
JLG represented a pro football running back against
multiple charges of driving while license
revoked.
Result: Although
the prosecutor fought for jail time, JLG attorneys
were able to quash several warrants and were able
to obtain a disposition where the client was
not required to serve any jail time.
People
vs. Wynn
Client was charged with his 6th driving without
a license charge and 9th driving without
insurance charge. Client was facing a minimum
mandatory jail sentence of 120 days in
jail. JLG attorneys were able to convince the
judge to allow our client to perform community
service work instead of serving a jail term.
Result:
Jail term avoided.
People vs. Herron
Client was charged with his 6th driving without
a license charge and 9th driving without
insurance charge. Client was facing a minimum
mandatory jail sentence of 120 days in
jail. JLG attorneys were able to convince the
judge to allow our client to perform community
service work instead of serving a jail term.
Result:
Jail term avoided.
People vs. H. Dannewitz
JLG
client was charged with possession of cocaine
and various major traffic offenses in 3 separate
counties.
Result: Our attorneys were
able to obtain a disposition which allowed our
client to serve a minimal 10-day jail sentence
which was honored as a concurrent sentence on
all 3 counties.
People vs. Blakesly
The client was charged with improper use of a driver's
license, a misdemeanor. Most defendants are
concerned about imprisonment above all else, while
others are concerned that large fines could
put them in financial distress. In a case
such as this, one might worry about suspension or
revocation of driving privileges. The charges
in this case were not severe, but that was not the
concern of this defendant. Their fear was
having their dreams shattered forever because of
one unfortunate incident. The role of Johnson
Law Group was two fold: to obtain the lowest
possible punishment and to keep the charges off
our clients' record so that they have a chance
to achieve their aspirations. Result:
Achieved!
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Expungements
JLG attorneys have prevailed in numerous cases
where clients have sought to expunge their
criminal record in order to free themselves of
the stigma of having a criminal record
due to a mistake in the past. JLG attorneys have
prevailed in such cases even though the
prosecutor and the state police have vigorously
objected to our client's petitions for
expungement. i.e. People vs. J. Kale, People
vs. P. Janisik.
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Public
Misconduct
Our Firm has represented public officials who
have been charged with criminal offenses. We represented
a senior juvenile detention officer when he was
charged with felony criminal damage to property.
After lengthy negotiations with the prosecutor
our attorney's were able to provide a result where
all felony charges were dismissed in exchange
for a delayed dismissal through a court supervision
disposition.
People vs. T. Kowaski
JLG Attorney represented an adult correctional
officer who was charged with having sex
with a female inmate while she was in jail custody.
The State sought to make a public example
out of our client and was very adamant about pursuing
a jail sentence for this offense.
Result: JLG Attorney
was able to obtain a disposition that included
"No Jail" time being served.
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Child
Pornography
People
vs. Weirnshenck
JLG attorneys successfully obtained an acquittal
(not guilty finding) at trial on behalf of a former
Principal of a prominent Christian School who
was charged with 7 felony counts of child pornography.
The Principal was terminated after he was caught
viewing pornography on the school's computers.
Investigators confiscated the school's computers
and the government's forensic experts were able
to identify 50+ images of child pornography on
the computer's hard drive. Despite the voluminous
evidence presented by the government against the
defendant, JLG attorneys won the case and all
charges were dismissed.
Result: Found Not
Guilty of all charges at trial.
People vs. Bremer
The government charged our client with 13 counts
of possession of child pornography on his personal
computer. Our client was employed as an
Executive and was well known in the community.
JLG attorneys and forensic experts required the
government to provide us with exact mirrored images
of the hard drives that were seized from our clients.
Thereafter, we employed our own forensic experts
and were able to provide the government with enough
conflicting evidence to convince them to dismiss
all felony charges.
Result: 13 counts of
Child Pornography were dismissed.
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Arson
People vs. M. Bose
JLG client was accused of burning down his ex-girlfriend's
house. It was alleged that our client torched
the house in order to induce his ex-girlfriend
move back into his home. The evidence at
trial included the eyewitness testimony
of a paperboy who identified our client at the
scene of the blaze at approximately 4:00
a.m. with a bucket of flammable substances. The
case included other eyewitness testimony
and was capped off by a partial admission by our
client.
Result: Despite
the incriminating evidence, our attorneys were
able to convince the jury into finding
our client "Not Guilty" of arson.
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Domestic Violence/Battery
People vs. Hoosier
Mr. Hoosier was charged with domestic and felony
battery of his girlfriend. The case was elevated
to a felony charge because his girlfriend was
pregnant when the battery was supposed to have
occurred. We were able to prove at trial that
the girlfriend had fabricated parts of her story
in order to gain a tactical advantage in a pending
custody case.
Result: Client found not
guilty at trial.
People vs. Lusher
Mr. Lusher was charged with Domestic Battery and
would certainly have lost his job if convicted.
The stakes were high due to the financial consequences
he would experience with a conviction. Some times
charges must be fought to the highest degree.
Result: The court found
Mr. Lusher not guilty on all charges, at trial.
People vs. Gilbert
Neighbors called the police saying they witnessed
Mr. Gilbert batter his wife by hitting her with
tree branches. The police came out and arrested
our client. This was a case where the State had
independant third-party witnesses to testify against
our client at trial.
Result: Our attorneys were
able to show how the witnesses only knew part
of the story, and misunderstood the things they
observed. Our client was found not guilty.
People vs. Williams
This young man was charged with barricading a
female in a motor vehicle and refusing to allow
her to leave her residence. The parties had a
prior dating relationship and were having problems
communicating. The State misunderstood the situation
and refused to dismiss the case or reduce the
charges, so we went to trial.
Result: Our attorney convinced
the court that these were the wrong charges to
bring, and our client was found not guilty.
People vs. Shaw
Our client admitted to punching his wife in the
face and fracturing her jaw. Client was
previously convicted of assault, felony aggravated
battery, drug charges and multiple additional
offenses. The prosecutor sought a 5 year
prison sentence.
Result:
Client ordered to serve 60 additional days
in jail and was placed on Probation rather than
being sentenced to prison.
People vs. Cook
Client was charged with Domestic Battery and the
Department of Children and Family Services
attempted to make a civil finding that our client
caused his child to reside in an unsafe environment.
JLG attorneys contested both of the government’s
attempts to punish our client. Result:
Client acquitted of all criminal charges
and the State’s claim that our client’s
child resided in an injurious environment was
found to be untrue.
People vs Noftz
Our client was a school teacher and basketball coach
who lost his job because of the charges against
him. Client was unhappy with his current counsel
after his case was dragged out for almost
a year with no favorable outcome.
Result:
Johnson Law Group was hired and in less than three
weeks, the client got his case settled
with the outcome the client wanted.
People vs. T.Mack
Charges included: Domestic Battery a class A misdemeanor
and Interfering with Reporting of a Domestic
Violence a class A misdemeanor as well.
Result: Johnson Law
Group was able to get all charges on this case
dismissed!
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Proffessional
License Defense
People
vs. Dooley
JLG Attorney and Investigators worked together
as a team with the client, a medical professional
who was charged with 8 counts of Felony Theft.
With a conviction of a felony, the client's
career would end immediately. After
14 months of an extensive investigation by JLG
staff, the client agreed to waive a trial in exchange
for a plea bargain.
Result: 7 felony
counts dismissed, and agreed to plea to a Class
A misdemeanor with No Conviction to be entered
and JLG attorneys successfully defended state's
petition to revoke our client's medical license.
Jury
Instructions Incorrectly Given
People vs. Griffin
A woman in McLean county was charged with the
murder of her infant son. Holding the boy
to her chest in an attempt to stop it from crying
caused the child to suffocate. Convicted
by a jury, Miss Griffin was sentenced to 25 years
in prison. The case was appealed, and the
trial court was found to have committed plain
error in respect to trying this case. The
appellate court found that jury instructions
given in this case were incorrect in regards to
what the required mental state to commit
murder was.
Result: The conviction
in this case was reversed and remanded.
Right to Counsel
People v. Downey
A man in Lake County had his defense counsel disqualified
by a trial court claiming a conflict of
interest existed. This was based on allegations
that a partner of the counsel's firm had
previously represented the victim's grandmother
in a civil matter. The court looked to the case
People vs. Ortega to determine if a possible
conflict of interest existed. In the case of Ortega,
the counsel for the defendant was the law
partner and brother of the counsel for
the defendant in a related case. The appeals court
found that no such relationship was present
in this case and that the state had not produced
sufficient evidence to support the motion.
Result: The trial courts
decision in this matter was reversed and remanded.
Escape
People
vs. Grant
Client was
charged with Felony Escape after he failed
to return to the jail to serve a 180 day jail
sentence on a prior felony charge. Although,
our client was facing a lengthy prison sentence
and there no defense was likely, JLG attorneys
were able to convince the judge to impose
a local short term jail sentence.
Result: Client avoided
a prison term on the prior felony and served
a short 60 day jail term on the new felony escape
charge.
People v. Davis
2nd District - Kane County Illinois Case No: 2-03-0603
Issue: Search and Seizure
A Kane County man won his motion to quash his
arrest and suppress the evidence seized.
The state appealed the decision and brought the
case back to trial. The initial offense that made
police question Mr. Davis was riding his bike
at night without a headlight. Mr. Davis was arrested
for possession of a controlled substance (Cocaine).
Officers stated that while being questioned, the
defendant seemed nervous and kept reaching into
his pocket. The officers stated they believed
this to be a "high crime" area and given the circumstances,
initiated a pat down search of his person. During
the search the officer felt something in his pocket,
which he believed was a box cutter. Upon reaching
into Mr. Davis's pocket to retrieve the object,
the office discovered the cocaine, as well. The
appellate courts findings are as follows: the
initial stop of Mr. Davis was justifiable. The
officer stated in five years he had been at this
location three to four times for drug related
incidents. The court, however, found the area
not to be a "high crime" area. In order
to conduct a search, the officer should have had
reason to believe the suspect was armed and dangerous.
Taking into account the factors in this case,
the court found that the search leading to the
discovery of cocaine and the arrest of the defendant
was not justified based on the factors in this
case.
Result:
The appellate court affirmed the trial courts
decision.
People vs. Flemming
Our client was a twice convicted felon that the
police were out to get. The police arrested
our client for Resisting/obstructing a police
officer on one occassion and for a traffic
citation on a separate occasion. Since our client
claimed that both of our arrests were bogus,
we set both for trial.
Result: We were successful
in both cases. Client was acquitted of all charges.
People vs. Ongena
Client was charged with shooting a neighbor’s
dog who happened to be a local vetenarian.
Client was an elderly professional who was fed
up with the neighboring animal. Due to
the big stakes involved in the case, JLG
set the case for trial.
Result: The court took
the matter under advisement and later dismissed
the case when JLG attorneys requested.
State vs. James Perrenoud
Attorney Michael Puterbaugh represented the Defendant
in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas. Initially,
the Defendant was charged with One (1) Count of
Rape, a felony of the first degree, Two (2) Counts
of Gross Sexual Imposition, felonies of the third
degree, Two (2) Counts of Sexual Imposition, misdemeanors
of the third degree. This case went to a Jury
Trial and the Jury found the Defendant guilty
of lesser-included misdemeanor offenses on the
Gross Sexual Imposition felony charges and guilty
of one of the misdemeanor charges. There was a
hung jury on the rape charge. This matter then
proceeded to a second Jury Trial on a single count
of Rape. The Defendant was found not guilty of
the rape charge and given credit for the local
jail time that he had completed and was released.
Result: The Defendant was
found not guilty of the rape charge and given
credit for the local jail time that he
had completed and was released.
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