A Chicago Criminal Lawyer Can Protect Your Rights

The motto of the United States legal system is that you are innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, this is sometimes not practiced accurately in our legal system and some people are treated as though they have already been convicted of a crime. This can take form in how you are handled by the police before, during, and after an arrest or during your criminal trial by the prosecution. This is why it is highly recommended that if you are facing criminal charges in Illinois you need to hire a Chicago criminal lawyer. 

One of the ways that a criminal attorney in Chicago can help protect your rights is by being present during any type of questioning or interrogation done by law enforcement officers. Many individuals get panicked when they are being questioned and begin saying things that end up incriminating them. If questioning and interrogation is not done in a manner that complies with the Constitution and state and local laws, the information gathered in the interrogation cannot be used in court. A Chicago criminal lawyer will put your treatment by law enforcement under scrutiny to make sure that you receive the fair trial that your Constitutional rights as an American citizen guarantee you.

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.