Page Text: The Best Criminal Defense Attorneys
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Erickson & Oppenheimer
Erickson & Oppenheimer is a Chicago-based firm that defends individuals against serious criminal allegations, such as domestic violence, drug offenses, involuntary manslaughter, first-degree murder, weapons law violations, and white-collar crimes. It also assists the defendants in dealing with the press and the local, state, and federal government agencies and officers. Jon Erickson and Michael Oppenheimer, who established the firm in 2004, each have over 22 years of courtroom experience. They have been selected as two of The National Trial Lawyers' Top 100.
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Jennifer Wirth Attroney at Law
Jennifer Wirth Attorney at Law protects the rights of individuals in the Chicago metro and nearby areas. It handles DUI cases and represents drivers during formal hearings. The legal practice helps clients secure their driving privileges by assisting them in filing disputes to resolve mandatory and discretionary license suspension and revocation penalties. Its team also handles reckless and drugged or drunk driving cases. Principal lawyer Jennifer Wirth has been practicing criminal law for more than two decades.
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Brandon Brown Attorney At Law
Brandon Brown Attorney at Law provides 24/7 legal assistance for individuals and families in Chicago and its surrounding communities. It handles a variety of criminal defense matters including DUIs, murder cases, drug crimes, and traffic violations. Its practitioner, Brandon Brown, strives to attain not guilty verdicts on behalf of clients through court trials. He also offers counsel and representation for cases involving personal injury and civil rights. Brown is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.
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Kuchinski Law Group
Kuchinski Law Group provides representation to individuals in criminal defense lawsuits in Chicago. It offers legal advice, drafts an escort strategy, prepares all the necessary petitions, complaints, or inquiry documentation, and conducts an introduction to U.S. criminal law. It handles various cases, such as DUI, domestic violence, and expungements. Additionally, the firm advocates for clients' rights on family and immigration law matters. Founding attorney Sergei Kuchinski has been in the legal practice for over 10 years. He is also fluent in Russian and Estonian.
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DRD Law, LLC
DRD Law, LLC, is a criminal defense firm serving Chicago and its surrounding areas. Founder David R. Drwencke devotes his practice to protecting the rights of individuals accused of crimes. He helps defendants face and fight back against criminal charges—including those related to assault, domestic violence, drug possession, DUI, murder, and rape—and guides them through every stage of the criminal justice proceedings. He challenges protection orders on behalf of clients. Drwencke is also licensed to practice law in Michigan and the District of Columbia.
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Jonathan Feldman Attorney at Law
Jonathan Feldman Attorney at Law is a criminal defense firm that represents clients in Chicago and the surrounding areas. Its team upholds the constitutional rights of individuals accused of committing misdemeanors and felonies, such as drug possession, DUI, and theft. To recover compensation for victims of police brutality, founding attorney Jonathan D. Feldman assists with the filing of civil rights claims against police departments and municipalities. Feldman also provides consultations and services to Spanish-speaking clients.
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Chicago Trusted Attorneys
Chicago Trusted Attorneys is a criminal defense practice serving clients in Chicago. It fights for people who have been unfairly charged and gives them the support they need to avoid high fines, jail time, and criminal records. Founder and CEO David Smith has over a decade of criminal defense litigation and trial expertise, representing clients accused of felonies or misdemeanors. He collaborates closely with clients and the legal team when devising and implementing strategies.
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Hallock Law Inc.
Hallock Law, Inc., offers criminal defense representation for accused individuals in Chicago. It handles criminal charges, like assault, domestic violence, drug abuse, and murder. Its attorney, Thomas C. Hallock, has handled hundreds of criminal cases. He draws on his experience in planning defense strategies to save defendants from conviction or reduce their punishments. He also takes on police brutality lawsuits, appeals, and expungements. Hallock is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
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Kevin P. Bolger & Associates
Kevin P. Bolger & Associates represents people who are facing federal or state charges. The firm has been in business for more than four decades, and Mr. Bolger was recognized as one of America's Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys. The attorneys at the firm provide assistance with a host of criminal charges, including white-collar crimes, drug charges, and violent crimes. They handle all categories of crimes, including misdemeanor and felony charges, as well as capital matters.
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Azhari, LLC
Azhari LLC is a criminal defense law firm with offices in Chicago and Rolling Meadows. The firm defends clients against charges such as sex crimes, drug offenses, theft, public indecency, domestic violence, and assault and battery. Azhari LLC also works on expunging criminal records. The firm is headed by attorney Sami Azhari, who is a member of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association and has spoken at several conferences related to legal matters.
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FisherLevine Law Group, LLP
FisherLevine Law Group, LLP, is a team of criminal defense lawyers that provides its services in the Chicago metro area. For more than 40 years, Robert A. Fisher has been representing criminal defense clients in both federal and state cases. Katherine Levine has several years of experience of being a prosecuting attorney. She represents individuals in state and federal courts and collateral administrative proceedings. They assist clients throughout the criminal trial process, from investigation up to sentencing and appeal.
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Law Offices Of Vadim A. Glozman
The Law Offices of Vadim A. Glozman, Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, practices criminal defense law across Chicago. It also handles civil matters related to criminal law. Principal attorney Vadim A. Glozman has represented clients in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, and Washington. He has been featured in the Chicago Magazine, which only selects 2.5% of Illinois attorneys. Glozman is also part of the Sentencing Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.
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Law Offices of Matt Fakhoury, LLC
The Law Offices of Matt Fakhoury LLC is a Chicago-based criminal defense law firm. Matt Fakhoury is a former prosecutor in the Third Municipal District and in Chicago. Fakhoury and his team give legal representation for assault and battery, drug crimes, felonies, misdemeanors, and robbery. They handle cases involving disorderly conduct, domestic battery, expungements and sealings, home invasions, property crimes, and sentence violations. They also serve clients in the Rolling Meadows and Skokie areas.
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Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.
The Law Offices of David L. Freidberg serves Chicago, Oakbrook Terrace, and Skokie. Awell-established criminal justice attorney in Chicago, David L. Freidberg has over two decades' experience and offers defense for drug crimes, violent crimes, weapons charges, theft, and federal crimes. Other practice areas include white-collar crimes, expungements and record sealing, murder, probation violations, and prostitution. The firm enjoys a Super Lawyer recommendation and ranks in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers on The National Trial Lawyers list.
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The Law Offices of Pablo DeCastro
The Law Offices of Pablo DeCastro exclusively handles criminal defense and police misconduct cases. Pablo DeCastro is a graduate of the Tulane University Law School and a criminal defense attorney in Chicago who has been advocating for clients in and around the city for his entire career. He defends clients charged with felonies and misdemeanors and has particular experience handling crimes involving computers, drugs, DUI, assault, rape, and attempted murder.
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Darryl A. Goldberg
Darryl A. Goldberg is a criminal defense attorney based in Chicago. His practice focuses largely on providing defense against serious criminal charges, including charges of white-collar crimes, racketeering, public corruption, and violent crimes. Goldberg also works in the areas of drug crimes, civil rights litigation, and asset forfeiture. Among other clients, he has represented professional athletes, law enforcement officers, and celebrities. He has been admitted to the bars of Illinois, Florida, and several U.S. district courts.
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Law Offices of Damon M. Cheronis
The Law Offices of Damon M. Cheronis was founded in 2008 and is based in Chicago. Founder Damon M. Cheronis provides criminal defense services, representing clients accused of federal, violent, white-collar, drug, and sex crimes. He also takes on civil rights violations cases and appeals. Cheronis was selected for the Super Lawyers list in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and has appeared in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers list by National Trial Lawyers on six occasions.
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Christopher Smith Trial Group LLC
Christopher Smith Trial Group LLC is a criminal law practice that advises and defends clients throughout Chicago, Cook County, and northern Illinois. Attorney Christopher Smith is a qualified lead counsel with the Illinois Capital Trial Litigation Bar, who has more than 20 years of experience defending clients in state and federal courts. Mr. Smith and his team have particular experience representing people charged with white-collar crimes, drug-related offenses, and violent crimes.
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Law Offices of Phillip A. Turner
The Law Offices of Phillip A. Turner is a sole proprietorship that focuses on defending people charged with federal crimes in Illinois and across the U.S. Phillip Turner is a criminal lawyer in Chicago who has spent more than 30 years exclusively handling federal cases, from tax evasion and fraudulent tax returns to bribery of government officials and international drug trafficking. The firm's English and Spanish-speaking staff can be contacted 24/7.
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Lawson & O'Brien, P.C.
Lawson & O'Brien, P.C., is a general practice law firm specializing in criminal law, family law, personal injury, and civil litigation. Its criminal defense attorneys represent clients in Chicago who were charged with traffic offenses, DUIs, theft, battery, and domestic battery. Founders Benjamin Lawson and Patrick O'Brien formed the firm in 2014. The two have an extensive background in criminal defense and have served as private defense attorneys, prosecutors, and public defenders throughout their legal careers. Furthermore, both of them are licensed mediators.
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Fagan, Fagan & Davis
Fagan, Fagan & Davis in Chicago offers criminal defense representation for clients in the greater Chicagoland area. With more than 40 years of experience in criminal law, the firm handles both misdemeanor and felony cases, helping clients with criminal, DUI, and traffic charges. Its scope of practice includes representation for theft, drug, violent, sex, and white-collar crimes. In addition, the firm takes on post-conviction expungement and record-sealing actions. Founder Steve Fagan is a member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association.
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Dohman Law Group
The criminal defense attorneys of the Dohman Law Group have been practicing law for Chicago area clients for 40 years. The attorneys at the firm offer assistance with cases involving various categories of DUI and other traffic violations, such as speeding, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. The law firm has been locally and nationally recognized by organizations including The American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys and the National Academy of Criminal Defenders.
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Law Offices of Andrew M. Weisberg
Law Offices of Andrew M. Weisberg is a law firm with one dedicated criminal defense attorney. Andrew M. Weisberg has been practicing criminal law in Illinois since 1996. He's familiar with all aspects of criminal law and can provide assistance to people accused of both felonies and misdemeanors, including burglary, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. Attorney Weisberg is a former Cook County felony prosecutor, and this experience helps him to plan his defense strategies.
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Michael C. Rosenblat
Rosenblat Law is a criminal defense firm serving the Chicago area. The firm has defended clients facing a wide array of charges, including murder, white-collar crimes, and drug trafficking. The firm is also active in cases involving the False Claims Act and health-care fraud investigations. Highly qualified among criminal justice attorneys in Chicago, founding attorney Michael C. Rosenblat has previous experience as a prosecutor, which provides valuable knowledge regarding how criminal cases are built. His firm takes an aggressive approach.
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Law Office of Melissa Smejkal
The Law Office of Melissa Smejkal provides aggressive defense for clients in Chicago and Cook County facing criminal charges, traffic violations, and DUI cases. Melissa Smejkal has over 12 years of experience in legal defense and has an Excellent Avvo rating. Clients highly recommend her as knowledgeable and reliable in court.
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Michael D. Ettinger & Associates
Michael D. Ettinger & Associates is a law firm near Chicago that defends clients accused of crimes, including federal crimes. The firm's attorneys have particular experience with drug-related cases, such as possession, manufacturing, and trafficking, as well as traffic-related offenses, including DUI. They also defend people charged with murder, and white-collar crimes, such as money laundering and mail fraud. Attorney Ettinger is a 1970 graduate of the John Marshall Law School who is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association.
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Law Office of Louis M. Pissios
The Law Office of Louis M. Pissios has been advising and defending clients under investigation and charged with crimes throughout Chicagoland since 1988. Louis Pissios is a criminal lawyer near Chicago who is licensed to defend clients in the state and federal courts of Illinois. His clients have included those charged with serious crimes, such as murder, rape, and aggravated burglary, and less serious crimes, such as resisting an officer and driving without a license.
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The Law Offices of Carlos H. Davalos
The Law Offices of Carlos H. Davalos provides criminal defense services from offices in Chicago, Melrose Park, Rolling Meadows, and Hickory Hills. The firm handles such cases as felony aggravated DUI , aggravated battery and assault, and robbery and burglary charges. Other areas of defense include retail theft and sexual crimes. The firm serves a sizable Latin community and enjoys listings with both Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100.
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Howard Wise
Howard J. Wise and Associates is a criminal defense firm serving Chicago and the surrounding area. The firm provides representation in assault, battery, DUI, domestic violence, drug, and fraud cases. It also handles criminal appeals, record sealing, and expungement. Founding attorney Howard J. Wise has more than 20 years of experience in the legal field. Additionally, he and several of his associates are former prosecutors who now defend the rights of Chicago-area defendants and suspects.
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DDT Law Group, LLC
DDT Law Group LLC is a law firm based in Stone Park that offers criminal defense services aimed at motorists in Chicago. Founded in 2016, the firm helps drivers fight traffic tickets, DUIs, and charges of driving on a suspended license, helping people to retain their licenses and avoid fines or imprisonment. The lawyers at DDT Law Group work as a team, meeting weekly to discuss cases and drawing from several decades of collective experience.
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Bedi & Singer, LLP
Bedi & Singer, LLP represents individuals and organizations in white-collar crimes, internal investigations, and state and federal criminal cases in Chicago and across the country. Its state and federal defense services include murder, armed habitual criminal, armed violence, robbery, mail and wire fraud, and health care fraud cases. Additionally, Bedi & Singer, LLP handles cases involving civil rights and police abuse, offering compassionate and experienced advocacy for police brutality, use of excessive force, prison abuse, and more.
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Law Office of Steven Fine
The Law Office of Steven Fine is a criminal defense firm serving the Chicago area. The law firm defends clients facing a variety of criminal charges, including violent crime, drug offenses, juvenile infractions, and internet crimes. This legal practice also provides representation against accusations of weapons crimes and theft. Attorney Steven H. Fine has been practicing law for more than 20 years, and he uses his courtroom experience and an aggressive approach to fight charges.
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John W. Callahan
John W. Callahan is a law office providing criminal defense in the greater Chicago area. The attorneys of John W. Callahan accept cases in DUI, robbery, hit and run, aggravated battery, and more. Clients recommend the attorneys as informative and supportive legal representation.
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Wolfe & Stec, LTD
Wolfe & Stec Ltd. are family law and criminal defense attorneys that serve Woodridge and Chicago. The firm's criminal defense portfolio includes misdemeanors, felonies, drug charges, weapons charges, DUI/DWIs, murder, white-collar, and sex crimes. The firm also handles incarceration prevention, sex offender registration, permanent criminal record expungement, and probation. With over 30 years of experience, Wolfe & Stec enjoys a Super Lawyer listing and gets high marks for professionalism and dedication.
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Kostopoulos Law Group, LLC
The Kostopoulos Law Group LLC is a criminal defense law firm serving clients in Chicago. Gus Kostopoulos is a former prosecutor and has practiced law for two decades, successfully litigating thousands of cases. Primarily a criminal defense firm, the accomplished team of criminal lawyers in Chicago defends those accused of domestic violence, DUI, white-collar, violent, and federal crimes. The firm also handles juvenile crimes and expungements. Mr. Kostopoulos is a member of the Illinois State Bar and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.
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Steve Klein Law P.C.
Founded in 2014, Steve Klein Law PC is a sole practitioner law firm based in Chicago. Attorney Klein offers criminal defense services, with a focus on traffic and drug-related cases. In addition to bench and jury trials, the compassionate criminal lawyer in Chicago is experienced with summary suspension hearings, plea bargains, and the suppression of evidence. The company serves clients across Illinois, with its primary practice areas being Cook County and DuPage. Klein was awarded the Super Lawyers Rising Star award from 2012-2015.
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Q: What does a criminal defense lawyer do?
A:
Criminal defense attorneys provide help to those facing misdemeanor or felony criminal charges. The attorney will research the circumstances surrounding the charge and investigate the case on behalf of the client. This may involve talking to police, interviewing witnesses, determining a plea, and assessing possible sentences. With this information, the defense attorney can negotiate plea deals or navigate a court case on behalf of the client. In some cases, the attorney may get a case dismissed entirely, a reduction in bail or jail time, or probation or community service instead of prison.
Q: How do I know if I need a criminal attorney?
A:
Any criminal charge that could result in a prison sentence requires the help of a criminal defense lawyer. This applies to both misdemeanor and felony charges, including:
Misdemeanors
Possession of certain types of drugs
Q: What steps should I take after being charged with a crime?
A:
The first thing to do after being charged with a crime is to contact a criminal defense attorney. It is best to hire a defense attorney as soon as possible after being released from arrest, and before an arraignment takes place. The attorney will explain charges in detail, and possible consequences, to help you decide whether a plea deal or a jury trial is the best option. Most attorneys offer free consultations to discuss the circumstances of a criminal case and how they're able to assist. Speaking with a number of defense attorneys before hiring one can increase the likelihood of finding the right fit, and getting the best defense possible.
Q: What if I can’t afford a criminal defense lawyer?
A:
All Americans are afforded the right to hire an attorney to act as a defense in a legal case. However, not everyone can afford one. If an attorney isn’t in a defendant’s budget, and the defendant’s income meets designated state or local thresholds, the court system will provide a public defender. This attorney usually works on cases pro bono or without any fees paid by the defendant. Many public defenders have a high caseload, which can limit the amount of time they are able to devote to each case. In most situations, hiring a dedicated criminal defense lawyer ensures the best outcome. This is particularly true in more serious felony cases that can result in a significant prison sentence without the involvement of a skilled, experienced defense attorney.
Q: Why hire a criminal defense attorney?
A:
Working with a criminal defense attorney is the best way to minimize the ramifications of committing or being accused of a crime. Criminal attorneys thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding a case to prove innocence or inspire reasonable doubt in a jury. Criminal defense lawyers also are better prepared to negotiate with the prosecutors. Due to the high cost and logistics involved with taking a case to trial, many prosecutors are willing to reduce sentences in exchange for avoiding a jury trial. An experienced criminal attorney understands what would be a reasonable deal for a specific criminal charge, and will negotiate it on behalf of the defendant.
Q: Are legal fees for criminal defense tax deductible?
A:
Whether legal fees from a criminal case can be deducted on a tax return depends on the circumstances. If criminal charges pertain to activities related to a trade or business, attorney fees can be deducted on a business tax return, as they are considered an expense associated with the normal course of business. However, personal legal fees cannot be deducted.
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