Chicago murder attorney

February 22, 2023

Health Care Providers Charged With Murder, Now Face Lawsuit

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

There are a growing number of criminal cases filed against healthcare providers who fail to act in accordance with the standard of care. While in some cases, these criminal cases seem better suited to civil court, there is nothing that prevents municipal authorities from filing criminal charges against medical personnel. In most cases, these suits are not filed against doctors but against EMTs and nurses. In some cases, the EMTs and nurses go above and beyond simple negligence, and hence, the charges against them are sometimes justified.

In this case, the EMTs are charged with first-degree murder, which is the harshest crime that anyone can be charged with under Illinois law. According to authorities, the EMTs knowingly strapped a man into the gurney so tightly that he was not able to breathe. He died of respiratory distress.

The defense contends that the incident was mere negligence and not intentional murder.

January 25, 2023

Will Alec Baldwin Be Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter Charges?

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

The defense is characterizing the charges as baseless and without merit after New Mexico prosecutors charged Baldwin with manslaughter. Baldwin was the one who fired the loaded gun, but there is no one who believes he intentionally wanted to harm Halyna Hutchins. The question is one of negligence.

Under the law, simple negligence is not a crime. However, culpable negligence is a crime. As an example of a crime of culpable negligence, think reckless driving or DUI. In these cases, you may not be trying to hurt anyone, but you are placing others in a position where they can be hurt or even killed. In cases of DUI involving a death, you have culpable negligence that gives rise to homicide. So, did Baldwin contribute a DUI-like amount of culpable negligence to trigger a manslaughter investigation?

The Prosecution’s Argument

December 30, 2022

New Junk Science Being Used by Police to Destroy Lives

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Over-the-phone lie detection is the latest junk science employed by the FBI and police departments across the country. While experts familiar with the work say it should not be used to convict individuals, it is being used to analyze 911 calls to determine whether the calls are honest or false.

Today, the Karen phenomenon and swatting have police on high alert for false calls. But it isn’t swatting and Karens that are being stopped. Often, it’s people who “say the wrong thing,” according to this method of analyzing speech patterns. And that could be anyone, even the victim of domestic violence or sexual assault.

What You Need to Understand

November 4, 2022

Woman Held After Stabbing Boyfriend Over Microwave Dispute

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chicago woman is being charged with murder after stabbing her boyfriend to death. According to police, the incident was related to a dispute over who could use the microwave first. The woman was eight months pregnant at the time of the stabbing, and she and her boyfriend were living together, according to police.

According to the press release, a dispute broke out over who was going to reheat their leftovers first, which turned into a shoving match. The boyfriend went to lie down in his room, but the girlfriend continued to argue. Eventually, she approached his bedroom with a knife. An uncle attempted to prevent her from getting closer, but she reached around him and stabbed the boyfriend in the thigh. He died after bleeding out from his femoral artery. She then dropped the knife and fled the scene, according to reports.

The woman is facing one charge of first-degree murder and is being held without bond. As of the stabbing, police were called to five reports of domestic violence, with the defendant listed as the aggressor. All of these incidents occurred over a four-month period between June and September. In one incident that occurred in late August, the defendant was listed as the aggressor in an incident that left her boyfriend with a stab wound to the neck. The boyfriend refused to press charges over the incident.

October 12, 2022

Three Teens Charged in Carjacking Spree, Vehicular Homicide

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Four people, including three teens, have been charged in a carjacking spree that ended with the death of a 55-year-old woman. Police say the perpetrators carjacked two women, set a pickup truck on fire, and then caused a deadly crash after a police chase. The 17-year-old driver has been charged with murder and three counts of aggravated fleeing. Another 17-year-old has been charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon. Others are facing charges of trespass to a vehicle and weapons violations.

The teens carjacked two vehicles in a short time before setting fire to a pickup truck they had stolen earlier. At that point, police became aware of the teens, and a chase ensued. The chase reached speeds of 60 mph and only stopped when the stolen vehicle crashed into a Toyota driven by the 55-year-old victim.

Understanding the Murder Charge

July 1, 2022

Details Emerge Concerning Suspect in Deadly Shooting

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Details are beginning to emerge about the suspect in the recent Weathertech shooting. According to reports, 37-year-old Charles McKnight is accused of shooting and killing another 37-year-old man and wounding two others. McKnight was found in possession of some of the victim’s belongings. Two Weathertech employees confronted McKnight near the end of his shift after they accused him of stealing the personal belongings of another employee at gunpoint. An argument ensued and McKnight shot at the men confronting him.

McKnight worked for a temp agency and managed to pass a background check although the press was able to discover that McKnight had been arrested several times for minor offenses. McKnight was never prosecuted on any of those charges which ended up being dropped. All the offenses were minor offenses such as simple battery and disorderly conduct. According to the temp agency, they use another company to conduct criminal background checks and McKnight’s came back clear.

One of the victims was treated and released from the hospital while the other is in critical condition. McKnight will likely face one charge of first-degree murder and potentially two charges of attempted murder. His bond has been set at $5 million.

June 15, 2022

Multiple Felon Charged With Stabbing Aboard CTA Blue Line

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A man with an extensive felony record has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after stabbing another man aboard a CTA Blue Line train. At the time of the stabbing, the man was on bond for another case.

Police say that the attack was not random, but that the two men appeared to know each other. Earlier in the evening, the men were seen together on surveillance footage purchasing liquor from a store. The defendant withdrew money from an ATM. Later that evening the defendant fell asleep aboard the train and his companion, the victim, attempted to reach into his pocket. The defendant then pulled a knife and began slashing and stabbing the victim. The victim died of his injuries. The defendant is now facing first-degree murder charges.

Police say that the defendant got off at the next stop and left his companion to bleed to death. He was found by another passenger and the matter was referred to the police. The defendant, meanwhile, ended up at a hospital the next day for a condition unrelated to the stabbing. There, he became aggressive with hospital staff who matched his image to a police bulletin concerning the stabbing.

May 27, 2022

Brother Testifies Against Brother in Robbery/Murder

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

One brother is providing testimony against the other for a 45-year sentence after the two were involved in a robbery/homicide outside of a convenience store. The younger brother testified that his older brother handed him the gun he used to shoot the man. The victim was targeted after he was seen counting money outside of the convenience store. The two men then split the $50 he had on him.

The brother who did not provide testimony on behalf of the state is facing a mandatory life sentence if convicted. The younger brother testified that he pulled the trigger, but his older brother handed him the gun. The younger brother took $30 for pulling the trigger.

Discrediting the Witness

May 18, 2022

Legal Elements of the Buffalo, NY Mass Shooting

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Chicago residents are no strangers to gunfire, but this particular mass shooting was a targeted attack on a predominantly Black neighborhood in one of Buffalo’s East Side neighborhoods. The shooter traveled halfway across the state from a small rural upstate town to commit the murder. He researched which area was most likely to contain the most Black people and murdered eight Black people and two white people, all told.

In this case, a federal background check was conducted on the shooter prior to his purchase of an AR-15 in January of this year. Similar failures occurred in the Nikolas Cruz case, the killer who used an AR-15 to shoot up a Parkland high school. In the latter case, the federal government was sued for failing to intervene and for negligently issuing a permit to a deranged psychopath, but the lawsuit was dismissed.

Which Laws Failed?

May 11, 2022

“Shaken Baby” Syndrome Subject to Legal Controversy

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A recent criminal suit filed against a babysitter has an old controversy back in the forefront. The babysitter is being charged with several felonies related to the death of an infant under her care. The defense had moved to exclude evidence produced by a Chicago physician who would testify that the baby died of trauma related to being shaken.

To make that determination, the doctor uses evidence provided from studies that tell forensic doctors to look for key hallmarks of shaken baby syndrome. The research has come under fire recently sparking a dispute between scientists.

According to the California Innocence Project, shaken baby syndrome has never been conclusively proven. The notion remains a hypothesis yet is used to convict parents using forensic doctors all the time. These doctors will testify that brain trauma is almost certain the result of the baby being shaken. While the defense can contest this hypothesis, it does not always stop a conviction.