People v. EK
Our Client was charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. The Police claim that they pulled our Client over for having a windshield with an obstructed view because a handicapped placard and air freshener were hanging from the rearview mirror. As an Officer approached from the passenger side, the grip of a gun was allegedly visible from underneath a tablet on the passenger seat. Our Client was asked out of the vehicle and the fully loaded .380 was recovered. While searching the vehicle the Police also discovered a fully loaded .40 caliber weapon. At the preliminary hearing, the Officer could not explain why he pulled the vehicle over for obstructed view when the placard was hanging from the rearview mirror precisely as it was designed to do. All charges were dismissed at the Preliminary Hearing!
People v. AS
Our Client was on probation for a drug case when he picked up a Felony Delivery of a Controlled Substance - 1000 Feet of a School case. So our Client was facing a Violation of Probation and 4 - 15 years in prison if convicted on the new case. The Police alleged that our Client sold heroin to an undercover Police Officer during a controlled buy sting. The whole situation was under surveillance. Both the undercover buy officer and the surveillance officers claimed our Client sold drugs to the buy officer for $20 in marked police money. We were able to negotiate a deal with the prosecutors to reduce the charges and drop the 1000 Feet of a School element. This made the new case a Class 2 Felony which is punishable from 3 - 7 years in prison. However, this deal also made our Client eligible for Boot Camp. Our Client accepted this deal. The violation case was dropped and he will be out as soon as he completes the Boot Camp program!
People v. DL
Client was charged with a Class 3 - Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon - 1000 feet of a school. The Police, who were investigating a battery, say they saw our Client and other people sitting on the steps of a school. They patted our Client down and discovered a weapon in his pocket. We filed a Motion to Quash Arrest and Suppress Evidence claiming the Police violated our Client's rights when they searched him. Just prior to litigating the Motion, the prosecution made an offer of 5 years in prison (the max). We then held a conference with the Judge and were able to work out probation for our Client.
People v. RN
Our Client was charged with Felony Armed Violence and Possession of Methamphetamine. He was facing a mandatory prison sentence of 18-37 years if convicted. State Troopers pulled our Client over for talking on his cell phone while driving on the expressway. The Trooper claimed that there was a strong odor of cannabis coming from our Client's vehicle. There were 3 additional passengers in the vehicle. After pulling our Client out of the vehicle, our Client told the trooper that he had an AK pistol in the car. It was determined that our Client was properly permitted to be in possession of such a weapon. However, when the trooper went to search the vehicle, the weapon was found inside of a red bag (just as our Client said it would be), but there was also a large amount of Meth inside the bag as well. The entire incident was recorded on the dash cam of the State Police vehicle. The issue in the case was whether or not there was proof beyond a reasonable doubt that our Client knew about the meth because the other 3 passengers were left alone in the vehicle for several minutes while the trooper dealt with our Client in the squad car. The prosecution offered to dismiss the Possession charge in exchange for a sentence recommendation of 15 years in prison. We rejected that offer and went to trial. Even though the trooper testified that he kept an eye on the other passengers while dealing with our Client, we were able to show from the video that he couldn't have. The trooper's vision was blocked by our Client's body at certain points as well as by the limo tinted windows of the vehicle. Our Client was found Not Guilty of ALL charges.
People v. FW - Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Our Client was charged with Felony Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. The police were serving a search warrant on our Client's home. Our Client was not the target of that search warrant. However, the police claimed that when the entered our Client's bedroom, he was sitting straight up with his eyes closed and a loaded gun in his lap. We did not get hired until after the Preliminary Hearing Stages of the case. However, we were able to successfully negotiate a deal with the prosecution to for time considered served, a reduction of the felony charges to a misdemeanor. Another felony conviction avoided.
People v. MS
Our Client was charged with Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon and Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance. The Police served a search warrant at an address they claimed was the residence of our Client. Our Client was not present while the police executed the search warrant and was arrested hours later, miles away. There were, however, other adults present at the location while the search warrant was served. Even though the search warrant limited the search of the Officers to the 1st floor of the 2 flat apartment building, the Officers took it upon themselves to search the basement. While searching the basement, the Officers claim to have recovered, from a bedroom, narcotics and ammunition as well as a letter addressed to our Client with the address of the search warrant on it. We took our Client's case to trial. At trial, several of the officers testified inconsistently. One officer testified that the residence that was searched was a single family home with a mid apartment exit door which led to the basement. Another testified that there was no door leading to the basement. An evidence technician who photographed all the evidence testified that the letter was recovered from the basement bedroom (where he photographed it). However, the evidence technician must've forgotten that he had testified under oath at another hearing that the letter was recovered from an upstairs dining room. When asked about his inconsistency, he said "I was mistaken." The prosecution presented photographs of the 1st floor to the court. However, none of those photographs showed any of the bedrooms upstairs. In fact, one of the officers claimed that there wasn't a bedroom upstairs, when it was clear from the photographs that the person taking the photograph was standing in the door frame of the bedroom. The verdict was Not Guilty and our Client was Acquitted!
People v. WM
Our Client was charged with Felony Manufacturing and Delivery of a Controlled Substance within 1000 Feet of a School. Our Client was facing 6 - 30 years mandatory prison time. The police were preparing to execute a search warrant at a residence when our Client left the residence. Our Client was the target of the search warrant. The police followed our Client and stopped his vehicle approximately 1 mile away. They brought our Client back to the residence, and conducted a search. They recovered approximately 20 grams of heroin. All charges were dismissed at the Preliminary Hearing
People v. WM
Client was charged with a Class 1 - Manufacturing and Delivery of a Controlled Substance. He was looking at up to 15 years in prison if convicted. We filed a Motion to Quash Arrest and Suppress Evidence and beat his case. The Judge ruled that when the police used their vehicle to block in our Client's vehicle at the gas station, our Client was not free to go. Because they did this without witnessing any illegal activity, any search of our Client and his vehicle were in violation of his Constitutional rights, and the large amount of drugs that were found must be suppressed.
People v. BW
Client was charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. We took our Client's case to trial and won. NOT GUILTY!!!
People v. CD
Our Client was charged with Felony Hate Crime. It was alleged that our Client, along with several other people, stopped and chased 2 people who were on their way home from the grocery store with their kids. Our Client's group allegedly yelled racial slurs while chasing the victims. We set our Client's case for Trial. When the prosecution realized that they would not be able to win, they were forced to dismiss all the charges.
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