Somehow, the probation officer figured it out. Now, you are facing a violation on your original case as well as a new felony. The violation alone means you can be resentenced on the original case, and in certain circumstances, you may be charged with a Class 2 felony, punishable by 3 to 7 years in prison.

What can you do?

First, it is imperative that you hire an experienced attorney who is respected at the court house and familiar with the court officials involved. It is usually difficult to defend these cases on the facts alone, which are usually pretty clear. A good working relationship between your attorney and the court can be essential in negotiating a more favorable plea agreement. Furthermore, an attorney can help you present evidence of your otherwise good character.

If you have questions about this or another related Illinois criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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Extradition means you could be arrested in your current state and brought back to face charges in the original state. The county prosecutor in the original state often decides whether to extradite, and it is impossible to predict their decision in any given case.

If you are at risk of extradition to Illinois, you should contact an experienced Illinois criminal law attorney immediately. An attorney can review the facts of your case for your best possible defense. For example, an attorney may help clear a problem underlying your original case. Sometimes a violation of probation is the result of miscommunication between court agencies, and an attorney may help sort this out.

Even if you violated probation and there was no mistake, an attorney can still help. For instance, an attorney, who is respected in the courthouse, may be able to negotiate a more favorable plea agreement than you might get on your own.

If you have questions about this or another related Illinois criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.).

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In Illinois, beginning with a Class C Misdemeanor, you can be sentenced for up to 30 days in jail. A Class B Misdemeanor carries a possible 6 months penalty, and Class A can mean confinement for up to a year. In Cook County, if you are a first time misdemeanor offender, it is highly unlikely that you will receive any jail time. Instead, you may have to take classes, pay a fine or do community service.

On a second offense, however, your chances of jail time increase substantially, but even then, your sentence depends on the nature of the offense, your background and the judge. An experienced attorney can present your case to the judge in the most favorable light, highlighting positive facts about your background. In some cases, the attorney can still successfully negotiate a plea agreement where you would perform community service, receive treatment and/or pay fines in lieu of jail time.

For a first time DUI with no injuries, there is a strong possibility that you will not serve time in jail. For a second DUI offense, your chances of a jail sentence increase substantially, but even then it depends on the circumstances of your case. If you are driving on a suspended license due to an underlying alcohol-related offense, Illinois law does require jail time, although you may be able to do community service instead of jail on a first offense.

Felonies are punishable by at least one year in state prison. Felony offenses range from Class 1 to Class X, with Class X being the most severe. Class X felonies are punishable by a minimum of 6 years. Your chances of receiving jail time are much greater than with a misdemeanor, but you may be eligible for probation under certain limited circumstances.

If you violate a sentence of supervision or probation, you have a very high risk of receiving jail time, and you should contact an attorney immediately. Showing up for a violation hearing without legal counsel sounds a signal to the judge that you are not taking the process seriously. In cases of this sort, it is not unusual for judges to conclude that only a trip to county jail will help you focus on your problem.

In all cases, you should consult an experienced criminal law attorney immediately to discuss the best strategy for your situation. Depending on your particular circumstances, an attorney may succeed in getting your case dismissed, such as through a motion to quash a search due to inadequate probable cause. An attorney can also help determine if your case is winnable at trial.

If you have questions about this or another related criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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In Illinois, you may be guilty of a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in prison and a $1,500 fine, if you cause another person’s phone to ring repeatedly with the intent of harassing them. You may also be charged with telephone harassment if you called someone intending to threaten them, whether or not a conversation actually took place. You also cannot make obscene or indecent comments intending to offend another person. You may be charged even if you did not make the calls yourself, but simply allowed someone else to use your phone.

A second offense of telephone harassment can boost your charge to a Class A Misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year and a $2,500 fine. If guilty, the Court must sentence you to a mandatory minimum 14-day jail sentence or 240 hours of community service.

If you have three or more prior violations within the last 10 years, your charge can increase to a Class 4 Felony, punishable by one to three years. Likewise, you can be charged with a Class 4 Felony if 1) you harass the same person or a member of their family more than once, 2) you threaten to kill your victim or someone in their family, 2) you have a prior forcible felony conviction, 3) your victim was a minor, or 4) you were on bail or you violated probation or supervision at the time.

If you are charged with Telephone Harassment, you should immediately contact an attorney. If you are in police custody, tell the police specifically: “I wish to invoke my right to remain silent” and “I wish to have an attorney.” Do not discuss your case with anyone either in person or by electronic means, such as email, texting or on a Facebook-type page. Whatever you do, do not try to contact the victim! Trying to explain yourself may instead help the prosecutor seal their case.

How can you defend your case? First, the state has the burden of proving you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Was it you who actually made the calls? Can the state prove you did? If someone else was using your phone, did you knowingly permit them? Did you have the required intent to offend or harass the victim when making the calls? Keep in mind that using obscene language creates a presumption that you meant to offend, but that presumption might still be challenged. Even if the evidence against you is strong, an experienced attorney may help you work out a more beneficial plea agreement than you could on your own.

If you have any questions about the criminal offense of telephone harassment, feel free to contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or matt@mattkeenanlaw.com

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves clients in the communities of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Palatine, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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Now you have a double whammy: A new criminal case along with the reopening of your prior case.

Often on first offenses, a court will sentence defendants to a term of supervision or probation for a set length of time. This term may have certain conditions such as random drug testing. Probation or supervision, however, always requires that you stay out of trouble with the law. Therefore, even if you are suspected of committing a crime or if you have committed a relatively minor offense such as a retail theft, the court can now re-sentence you on the first offense, which can mean significantly stiffer fines or even a jail term. And that still doesn’t take care of your new arrest.

What can you do? If you violated supervision or probation, you should contact an attorney right away in order to protect your rights as much as possible. Do not speak to police or anyone else, either in person or electronically, about your case. Any explanation you might try to give may only land you in more trouble and may eliminate a possible line of defense. Do not discuss your case through texting, email or on any Facebook-type pages.

An experienced attorney can help you with the delicate balancing act between the violated case and the new case. Sometimes, an attorney will attempt to delay completing the violation case until the new charges can be resolved. If the attorney can get the new charges dismissed, you might receive a substantially reduced penalty in the prior case or the prior case might even be dropped. Even if the evidence on the new case is overwhelming, an experienced attorney can help obtain a better deal for you in both cases.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves clients in the communities of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Palatine, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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