Felonies

Felony charges are the most serious of criminal charges. Types of felonies can include:

* Assault and Battery
* Aggravated Assault
* Murder
* Kidnapping
* Robbery
* Arson
* Drug Trafficking
* Gun Offenses
* Sex Crimes
* Crimes Against Children

But felonies can also include many other types of serious crimes, even if they are not committed through an act of violence. Other types of felonies may include:

* Drug Possession
* Theft
* Burglary
* Domestic Abuse
* Fraud
* White Collar Offenses
* Aggravated Driving Offenses

When you are charged with a felony, you may be facing a significant jail or prison sentence. A felony conviction is a major life event, and it could cost you years of your freedom. This is especially true if you are facing an aggravated felony charge. If you have been convicted of previous crimes, you could be facing life in prison. You cannot afford to waste a moment in obtaining a fierce and tenacious criminal defense lawyer.

At Johnson Law Group, we will immediately put our team to work to defeat the felony charges. Our attorneys will analyze your case and determine the best legal strategy. Our team members have been certified in many areas of criminal justice, and we will put these certifications to work for you. If there were improper undercover methods used to entrap you, we will readily determine this. If you were interrogated, we understand the tactics the police use to obtain coerced or misinterpreted confessions. We will know whether or not to use a polygraph (lie detector) in your defense. We can hire the best investigators to explore the details of the prosecution's case. We can hire forensic experts to examine the evidence against you, and the evidence favorable to your case. We will leave no stone unturned to help you avoid jail. If a plea bargain is the best option available, we can work effectively to obtain the best deal from the prosecutor for your situation.

A felony charge and felony record may be the most significant event in your life. Do not trust such a major event to just any lawyer. We at Johnson Law Group will put its aggressive and experienced criminal defense team to work for you. Contact us to discuss your felony charge.

We Fight to Win!

Assault and Battery

720 ILCS 5/12-1

(a) A person commits an assault when, without lawful authority, he engages in conduct which places another in reasonable apprehension of receiving a battery.

720 ILCS 5/12-3

(a) A person commits battery if he intentionally or knowingly without legal justification and by any means, (1) causes bodily harm to an individual or (2) makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with an individual.

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Aggravated Assault

720 ILCS 5/12-2

(a) A person commits an aggravated assault, when, in committing an assault, he:

(1) Uses a deadly weapon or any device manufactured and designed to be substantially similar in appearance to a firearm, other than by discharging a firearm in the direction of another person, a peace officer, a person summoned or directed by a peace officer, a correctional officer or a fireman or in the direction of a vehicle occupied by another person, a peace officer, a person summoned or directed by a peace officer, a correctional officer or a fireman while the officer or fireman is engaged in the execution of any of his official duties, or to prevent the officer or fireman from performing his official duties, or in retaliation for the officer or fireman performing his official duties;
(2) Is hooded, robed or masked in such manner as to conceal his identity or any device manufactured and designed to be substantially similar in appearance to a firearm;
(3) Knows the individual assaulted to be a teacher or other person employed in any school and such teacher or other employee is upon the grounds of a school or grounds adjacent thereto, or is in any part of a building used for school purposes;
(4) Knows the individual assaulted to be a supervisor, director, instructor or other person employed in any park district and such supervisor, director, instructor or other employee is upon the grounds of the park or grounds adjacent thereto, or is in any part of a building used for park purposes;
(5) Knows the individual assaulted to be a caseworker, investigator, or other person employed by the State Department of Public Aid, a County Department of Public Aid, or the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to the Illinois Department of Public Aid under the Department of Human Services Act [FN1]) and such caseworker, investigator, or other person is upon the grounds of a public aid office or grounds adjacent thereto, or is in any part of a building used for public aid purposes, or upon the grounds of a home of a public aid applicant, recipient or any other person being interviewed or investigated in the employees' discharge of his duties, or on grounds adjacent thereto, or is in any part of a building in which the applicant, recipient, or other such person resides or is located;
(6) Knows the individual assaulted to be a peace officer, or a community policing volunteer, or a fireman while the officer or fireman is engaged in the execution of any of his official duties, or to prevent the officer, community policing volunteer, or fireman from performing his official duties, or in retaliation for the officer, community policing volunteer, or fireman performing his official duties, and the assault is committed other than by the discharge of a firearm in the direction of the officer or fireman or in the direction of a vehicle occupied by the officer or fireman;
(7) Knows the individual assaulted to be an emergency medical technician -- ambulance, emergency medical technician -- intermediate, emergency medical technician -- paramedic, ambulance driver or other medical assistance or first aid personnel engaged in the execution of any of his official duties, or to prevent the emergency medical technician -- ambulance, emergency medical technician -- intermediate, emergency medical technician -- paramedic, ambulance driver, or other medical assistance or first aid personnel from performing his official duties, or in retaliation for the emergency medical technician -- ambulance, emergency medical technician -- intermediate, emergency medical technician -- paramedic, ambulance driver, or other medical assistance or first aid personnel performing his official duties;
(8) Knows the individual assaulted to be the driver, operator, employee or passenger of any transportation facility or system engaged in the business of transportation of the public for hire and the individual assaulted is then performing in such capacity or then using such public transportation as a passenger or using any area of any description designated by the transportation facility or system as a vehicle boarding, departure, or transfer location;
(9) Or the individual assaulted is on or about a public way, public property, or public place of accommodation or amusement;
(9.5) Is, or the individual assaulted is, in or about a publicly or privately owned sports or entertainment arena, stadium, community or convention hall, special event center, amusement facility, or a special event center in a public park during any 24-hour period when a professional sporting event, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned sporting event, United States Olympic Committee-sanctioned sporting event, or International Olympic Committee-sanctioned sporting event is taking place in this venue;
(10) Knows the individual assaulted to be an employee of the State of Illinois, a municipal corporation therein or a political subdivision thereof, engaged in the performance of his authorized duties as such employee;
(11) Knowingly and without legal justification, commits an assault on a physically handicapped person;
(12) Knowingly and without legal justification, commits an assault on a person 60 years of age or older;
(13) Discharges a firearm;
(14) Knows the individual assaulted to be a correctional officer, while the officer is engaged in the execution of any of his or her official duties, or to prevent the officer from performing his or her official duties, or in retaliation for the officer performing his or her official duties;
(15) Knows the individual assaulted to be a correctional employee or an employee of the Department of Human Services supervising or controlling sexually dangerous persons or sexually violent persons, while the employee is engaged in the execution of any of his or her official duties, or to prevent the employee from performing his or her official duties, or in retaliation for the employee performing his or her official duties, and the assault is committed other than by the discharge of a firearm in the direction of the employee or in the direction of a vehicle occupied by the employee;
(16) Knows the individual assaulted to be an employee of a police or sheriff's department engaged in the performance of his or her official duties as such employee; or
(17) Knows the individual assaulted to be a sports official or coach at any level of competition and the act causing the assault to the sports official or coach occurred within an athletic facility or an indoor or outdoor playing field or within the immediate vicinity of the athletic facility or an indoor or outdoor playing field at which the sports official or coach was an active participant in the athletic contest held at the athletic facility. For the purposes of this paragraph (17), "sports official" means a person at an athletic contest who enforces the rules of the contest, such as an umpire or referee; and "coach" means a person recognized as a coach by the sanctioning authority that conducted the athletic contest.
(18) Knows the individual assaulted to be an emergency management worker, while the emergency management worker is engaged in the execution of any of his or her official duties, or to prevent the emergency management worker from performing his or her official duties, or in retaliation for the emergency management worker performing his or her official duties, and the assault is committed other than by the discharge of a firearm in the direction of the emergency management worker or in the direction of a vehicle occupied by the emergency management worker.

(a-5) A person commits an aggravated assault when he or she knowingly and without lawful justification shines or flashes a laser gunsight or other laser device that is attached or affixed to a firearm, or used in concert with a firearm, so that the laser beam strikes near or in the immediate vicinity of any person.

(b) Sentence.

Aggravated assault as defined in paragraphs (1) through (5) and (8) through (12) and (17) of subsection (a) of this Section is a Class A misdemeanor. Aggravated assault as defined in paragraphs (13), (14), and (15) of subsection (a) of this Section and as defined in subsection (a-5) of this Section is a Class 4 felony. Aggravated assault as defined in paragraphs (6), (7), (16), and (18) of subsection (a) of this Section is a Class A misdemeanor if a firearm is not used in the commission of the assault. Aggravated assault as defined in paragraphs (6), (7), (16), and (18) of subsection (a) of this Section is a Class 4 felony if a firearm is used in the commission of the assault.

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Arson

720 ILCS 5/20-1

A person commits arson when, by means of fire or explosive, he knowingly:

(a) Damages any real property, or any personal property having a value of $150 or more, of another without his consent; or

(b) With intent to defraud an insurer, damages any property or any personal property having a value of $150 or more.

Property "of another" means a building or other property, whether real or personal, in which a person other than the offender has an interest which the offender has no authority to defeat or impair, even though the offender may also have an interest in the building or property.

(c) Sentence.

Arson is a Class 2 felony.

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Kidnapping 

720 ILCS 5/10-1

(a) Kidnaping occurs when a person knowingly:

(1) And secretly confines another against his will, or
(2) By force or threat of imminent force carries another from one place to another with intent secretly to confine him against his will, or
(3) By deceit or enticement induces another to go from one place to another with intent secretly to confine him against his will.

(b) Confinement of a child under the age of 13 years is against his will within the meaning of this Section if such confinement is without the consent of his parent or legal guardian.

(c) Sentence.

Kidnaping is a Class 2 felony.

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