Why It Is Important to Work With an Experienced Waukegan Criminal Lawyer

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If you are charged with a criminal offense, it is important to work with an experienced Waukegan Criminal Lawyer. An attorney can help you avoid conviction and get your life back on track.

DUI laws vary from state to state, but there are common factors that can affect your case’s outcome. A qualified Waukegan DUI criminal defense attorney can protect your rights and help you reach the best possible outcome for your case.

Experience

A criminal defense attorney must be well-versed in all aspects of the legal system to effectively fight for their clients. This includes being familiar with pretrial motions, a trial mindset and working with prosecutors. An experienced Waukegan Criminal Lawyer is also able to negotiate a favorable pre-trial settlement.

A skilled attorney can help their client avoid jail time, serious fines and a criminal record by negotiating a plea deal. However, if no deal can be reached, a criminal defense attorney must be prepared to take the case all the way to trial.

Criminal charges can range from a minor misdemeanor to a felony. Felonies are considered serious crimes and can affect a person’s future employment, education and housing prospects. A seasoned Waukegan Criminal Defense lawyer can help their client fight against any charge, including class 4 felonies such as gun possession, criminal sexual assault and second-degree murder. They can help their clients develop a robust criminal defense strategy that may include examining the evidence, submitting a motion to suppress and using creative litigation tactics.

Knowledge

Criminal law attorneys are well-versed in the laws governing criminal offenses in the state of Illinois. They are knowledgeable about the intricacies of the state’s legal system and can provide valuable insight that will help their clients navigate the complex court system.

A skilled Waukegan criminal lawyer understands the different types of crimes and can advise their clients about the penalties they face if convicted. This is particularly important in cases involving serious or violent crimes, which carry much harsher penalties than misdemeanors or traffic offenses.

An experienced criminal defense attorney will not be encumbered by the packed caseloads and lack of funding that plague many public defenders. Instead, they will devote all of their resources to your case and treat it as if it were their only one. Contact the Jordan Law Firm to discuss your legal options today. They represent clients in all areas of criminal law, including homicide, major felonies, police misconduct, drug charges, criminal appeals, and expungement.

Reputation

No one wants to face criminal charges, but it is a reality that many Americans will have to deal with in their lifetime. A knowledgeable defense attorney can help you navigate the unfamiliar territory of the Illinois legal system and avoid a conviction.

If you are charged with a class X felony, it is important to hire an experienced Waukegan criminal lawyer as soon as possible. A strong criminal defense can prevent you from spending time in prison and paying massive fines.

The attorneys at McCollum Hodgkinson, PC, are experienced in defending clients against charges of firearm possession, drug trafficking, and other crimes. The firm serves clients in Lake County and its surrounding areas. Attorney Steve McCollum and partner Dan Hodgkinson are both former prosecutors. McCollum and Hodgkinson have extensive experience in pretrial motions to suppress and creative litigation strategies.

Expungement

Many people want to have expungement on their records for privacy reasons. This process is not automatic, though; it’s a court order that can be requested if you meet certain criteria set by state law.

The terms of your probation must be complete, and you’ll need to wait a set amount of time from the date your case was closed before filing for an expungement. The rules vary by state, and it’s important to have an experienced attorney to help guide you through the process.

Expungement only affects court records; it won’t erase the fact that you were arrested or found guilty of a crime. However, it can make a difference to parties who run background checks such as employers or schools. It can also prevent the dismissed conviction from being used as a “prior” to increase punishment in future criminal cases. The public, however, will still have access to your record through other sources like newspapers and social media.