Cook County prosecutors dropped charges against a man who was exonerated on an appeal for a crime he claimed he never committed. Throughout his time in prison, he maintained his innocence for a double murder that he says police pinned on him. He spent 34 years in prison on charges…
Articles Posted in Criminal defense
El Chapo’s Son Extradited to Chicago to Face Drug Trafficking Charges
The son of notorious drug trafficker El Chapo has been extradited to Chicago from Mexico on charges of drug trafficking. Ovidio Guzman Lopez was charged in April along with two dozen others who are suspected of being a part of the Sinaloa Cartel. According to the lawsuit, the Sinaloa Cartel used…
Cash Bail Officially Eliminated in Illinois
Illinois has officially become the first state in the country to eliminate cash bail. Proponents of the measure say that it punishes the poor unfairly. The Pretrial Fairness Act prevents judges from setting bail but gives them broader discretion to deny release to those accused of violent crimes. Those opposed…
Chicago Man Found Guilty of Rape of 15-Year-Old Girl
A Chicago man was recently found guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old girl while she was walking home in 2017. The 66-year-old defendant had been charged with two counts of rape, attempted rape, criminal confinement, armed robbery, and battery with a deadly weapon. The defendant was convicted on each of…
Ron Jeremy Ruled Mentally Incompetent to Stand Trial Over Rape Charges
Former porn star Ron Jeremy has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial by the judge presiding over his case. He faced dozens of rape charges but was only recently in the news after victims came out to share their stories. A judge declared that he was in “incurable neurocognitive decline,” and…
Chicago Wrongly Places Felonies on the Records of Those in Diversion Programs
The City of Chicago has been wrongly placing felonies on the records of those in diversion programs. Having a felony on your record can make it difficult to find housing or apply for a job. In one case, a man who was identified as Malcolm in an article published by…
Chicago Prosecutors Drop Cases That Relied on Officer Accused of Perjury
Chicago prosecutors are dropping cases that relied on a Chicago police officer’s testimony after that officer was accused of perjury. The officer testified that his girlfriend had stolen his car in order to get dozens of traffic tickets against him dismissed. The officer is accused of perjuring himself 44 times in…
Chicago Supreme Court Rules Ending Cash Bail is Constitutional
The Illinois Supreme Court recently ruled that one of the provisions of the SAFE-T Act that would end cash bail is constitutional. The decision will allow Illinois to become the first state in the country to end cash bail. Instead of cash bail, judges will have the ultimate discretion on…
Chicago Woman Charged With Emailing Death Threats to Donald Trump
A Chicago-area woman is facing charges of emailing death threats to former President Donald Trump. She also mentioned his son Barron in the threat. The 41-year-old defendant is accused under federal law of transmitting threats to kill or injure, according to the U.S. attorney’s office here in Chicago. According to federal authorities,…
Chicago Police Officer and Sister Convicted of Charges Stemming From January 6th
A Chicago police officer and his sister have been convicted of several counts related to the January 6th riot at the Capitol. The officer was convicted of entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in the Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or…