Can a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Chicago Prevent Criminal Charges from Being Filed?

It starts with a phone call. Maybe a police officer leaves a message asking you to come in “just to talk.” Maybe you hear that someone filed a complaint against you. Maybe you find out there’s an open investigation with your name attached. But there’s one question that matters more than anything else: Can hiring a criminal defense attorney stop this from becoming a criminal charge?

In many cases, the answer is yes. In other cases, a criminal defense attorney may not be able to stop charges entirely—but may still prevent the worst-case outcome. Either way, doing nothing and hoping the problem goes away is the biggest mistake you can make.