Category Archives: lesser included offense

CAN YOU BE CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE CRIMES BASED ON ONE ACT?

The answer is yes, provided each offense contains at least one element that differs from your other offense(s). Under the one-act, one-crime rule, you may not be convicted of multiple offenses based on precisely the same single physical act. To … Continue reading

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WHEN CAN I BE CONVICTED OF A LESSER INCLUDED OFFENSE?

Police arrested you on charges that were pretty stiff, but you feel confident that the state can’t prove the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. That does not mean, however, that you are out of the woods. The court can convict … Continue reading

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CAN I BE CONVICTED ON MORE THAN ONE CHARGE FOR THE SAME OFFENSE? THE “ONE-ACT, ONE-CRIME” DOCTRINE IN ILLINOIS

When you were arrested, the prosecutor may have filed several charges against you. You didn’t know so many crimes could come out of the same set of circumstances. Can you be convicted on all of them? Under Illinois law, you … Continue reading

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