Characteristics of a Good Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney

If you are facing any type of criminal charges in the Chicago area, you need good legal representation from a well-respected Chicago defense attorney. There are a lot of attorneys in the Chicago area, but you need more than just a cold, calculated student of the law. You need someone who truly has your best interest at heart and who will do their best to offer you top notch legal protection and that you get treated fairly during your trial. There are certain characteristics that you should look for when looking to hire a Chicago criminal defense lawyer.

As stated above, one of the most important characteristics a Chicago defense attorney needs to possess is a passion for the law. Your attorney needs to believe in the system and be passionate about making sure that you are treated as innocent until proven guilty. A good criminal lawyer possesses confidence and aggressively defends your case by calling the evidence of the prosecution into question and scrutiny. Your defense attorney should be someone who has many years of experience in dealing with the particular charges you are facing so that they can adequately put together a legal defense that can help avoid a damaging conviction.

What is the Law Regarding Residential Burglary in Illinois?

According to legal code, a person commits the crime of residential burglary in Illinois if the individual knowingly and without proper authority enters or remains within the dwelling place of another with the intent to commit a felony or a theft. This means that an individual essentially enters the home or legal residence of another person without their express permission with the intent to steal some of that person’s property or belongings. Residential burglary in Illinois is a very serious crime that can land you in some very serious trouble. 

The penalty for someone who has been charged and convicted with residential burglary can be fairly steep. This crime is considered to be a Class 1 felony offense, which carries a prison sentence of anywhere from 4 years to 15 years. There is also no probation available for individuals who have been convicted of this crime. Due to the seriousness of this crime and the severity of the possible punishment, you need to hire a criminal defense attorney immediately. They can provide legal counsel and representation that can end up reducing your sentence by having your charges reduced down to a plain burglary charge. Good legal representation might also be able to cast reasonable doubt on your guilt and get you acquitted of all charges.

The Penalty for Residential Burglary in Illinois

Committing residential burglary in Illinois is a serious offense that can carry a heavy sentence with it as a penalty. The crime itself can be described as an individual who enters into the living space of another person without permission to willingly steal or commit a felony crime. Being charged with residential burglary in Illinois is a Class 1 felony offense. Class 1 felony offenses in Illinois come with a prison sentence that ranges from 4 years in prison up to 15 years in prison. Your exact sentence will be determined by the circumstances surrounding the incident itself. 

If you have been charged with residential burglary, you will need a criminal defense lawyer to represent you during trial. A good criminal defense lawyer will seek to scrutinize the evidence and testimony of witnesses used by the prosecution to help cast reasonable doubt on your guilt for committing this crime. If there is enough evidence to prove that you did in fact commit a crime, the attorney will build a case with the intent to have the charge lessened to Criminal Trespass to Residence. This charge is only a Class A misdemeanor and may only require court supervision rather than serving jail time.