Bolingbrook Felony Defense Lawyer

Few situations are more frightening than the police placing you in handcuffs and arresting you for having committed a felony. At that moment, you rightfully fear that you may face serious repercussions, including prison time. The way the world works, people often assume that just because you were arrested, you must be guilty. That is a concerning mindset, especially when you know you will be judged by 12 average people if your case goes to trial. Hopefully, though, it never reaches that point. With an experienced Bolingbrook felony defense lawyer from Wolfe & Stec Ltd. representing you, your fears may never come to fruition.

Felonies in Illinois

Understanding the Difference Between Misdemeanors and Felonies

There are two types of criminal offenses in Illinois in which your liberty can be at risk — felonies and misdemeanors. Misdemeanors are lesser offenses that can result in no more than one year in jail and are often punished only with fines. All felony offenses involve the potential for more than one year of prison time. Examples of felony offenses include:

• Sex crimes
• Most gun crimes, except for simple unlawful possession
• Possession of most types of drugs
• Drug possession with intent to distribute
• Repeat DUI offenses
• Murder or manslaughter.

The penalties for felony offenses are quite high. Even the least serious felony offenses may be punished with several years in prison and five-figure fines.

Felony Penalties

How a Bolingbrook Felony Defense Lawyer Can Help

Because the difference between felony penalties and misdemeanor penalties can be so significant, our felony defense attorneys in Bolingbrook will fight to have charges reduced whenever possible. While a felony charge may require prison time, a misdemeanor charge is more likely to result in probation. The difference in fines is also quite notable. The highest fine you can receive for a misdemeanor is $2,500. The maximum fine for the lowest level felony is 10 times that. If you are charged with a felony, the penalties you will face depend on the classification of that crime.

Class 4 Felonies

This is the lowest level of felony classification. If you are found guilty of a class 4 felony, you will face either one to three years in prison or up to two-and-a-half years of probation. Our Illinois felony defense lawyers will fight to get your charges dropped to a simple misdemeanor if possible. This prevents you from receiving any prison time and also avoids the long-term consequences of being convicted of a felony. When that isn’t possible, we will argue for probation, especially for a first-time offender.

Class 3 Felonies

There is usually still reasonable room for negotiating lesser charges or probation for class 3 felonies. While you can be penalized with two to five years if convicted, you can also receive probation instead of prison time. Class 3 felonies are unlikely to end up at trial because the time spent prosecuting them isn’t worth it for most prosecutors.

Class 2 Felonies

The stakes have changed if you are charged with a class 2 felony. You can be penalized with between three and seven years in prison and probation in place of confinement can be for up to four years. Furthermore, at this classification, if you receive a prison sentence, you must also receive at least one year of supervised release afterward. Our Bolingbrook felony defense attorneys will fight to have charges reduced from this classification using any legal tactics.

Class 1 Felonies

While you might think this classification is reserved for violent crimes, that isn’t the case. Many violent crimes fall into this category, but so do many drug crimes. That means you could spend between four and fifteen years in prison for possessing drugs for personal use. If you are facing a class 1 felony, you should contact our Illinois felony defense attorneys as soon as possible.

Class X Felonies

This classification is reserved for the most serious crimes that aren’t murder. Also, if you have been convicted of class 1 or class 2 felonies twice before, you will receive penalties for a class X felony if convicted of another penalty from those earlier two classifications. This is part of the reason it is so important for our felony defense lawyers to get charges reduced. The penalty for a class X felony is between six and 30 years in prison, and probation is not an option.

Murder

Murder convictions result in between four and 60 years in prison, depending on the circumstances. Probation is allowed for second-degree murder but not for first-degree murder. You could also be penalized to life without parole for a first-degree murder charge if you are a repeat offender, murdered multiple people, or killed a government employee.

Are you facing felony charges in Illinois? These charges could potentially result in your spending significant time in prison. If you want a chance to avoid these consequences, contact a Bolingbrook felony defense attorney at Wolfe and Stec Ltd at 630-305-0222.

Your Rights When Arrested

The Right to Remain Silent

One of the most important rights you have is the right to remain silent and only speak with your lawyer. You need to invoke this right. Once you do, the police and prosecutors may not continue to interrogate you. If you were questioned after invoking your rights, inform our legal team right away. We may be able to get any evidence obtained from your interrogation discarded by the court.

How an Illinois Felony Defense Lawyer Can Get Charges Dismissed

The criminal justice system is designed to protect the rights of the accused. When you are arrested for a crime, the police and prosecution must protect your rights. If they fail to do so, our Illinois felony defense lawyers may be able to get the charges dismissed.

Search and Seizure Rights

Police typically need a valid warrant to search you or your belongings. If the police ask to perform a search without a warrant, refuse them. Also, document any searches they perform, even if they have a warrant. They may have searched areas or seized evidence not included in the warrant.

Statute of Limitations

For most felonies, the prosecutor only has three years to file charges against you. Once the statute of limitations has run out, you can’t be charged, even if you are guilty of the crime. Our criminal defense lawyers in Bolingbrook will petition for dismissal of charges if they are brought after that time limit has passed.

Why Choose Us?

When you are arrested for a felony, you need a criminal defense law firm that will act immediately to protect your rights. Wolfe & Stec Ltd has felony defense attorneys available 24 hours a day, every day of the week. We are familiar with all local courts and police stations and can have an attorney meet with you within hours at most. While we can’t guarantee success, we have helped thousands of clients and taken hundreds of cases to trial, getting results that protect our clients. If you aren’t sure whether you want our services, take advantage of our confidential, free consultations to determine whether we are the right fit for you.

FAQ

The better you are informed about the process and your rights, the better we can help you. The following are answers to the most common questions we get from felony defense clients.

Will my case go to trial?

Probably not. The vast majority of cases end with a plea deal. If we can get charges reduced to misdemeanors and penalties reduced to fines, it is usually better to accept a plea than risk a jury trial.

Can I insist on a trial?

Yes. You are never required to accept a plea deal. If you want a trial, our legal team will support that. Our felony defense lawyers in Bolingbrook have hundreds of hours of trial experience and lots of successes with cases that go to verdict.

Can I be arrested again if my case is dismissed?

That depends on how your charges are dismissed. If they are dismissed without prejudice, they can be brought again with additional evidence. However, if they are dismissed with prejudice, you can’t be charged again.

How will Wolfe & Stec Ltd communicate with me?

We will communicate with you in whatever format is most convenient for you. Furthermore, we will communicate with you as regularly as you want. Some people want daily updates, while others prefer to be informed only when something major happens.

Never be afraid to ask questions. Our lawyers are always happy to answer any you have.

Contact a Felony Defense Lawyer in Illinois Today

Felony convictions have severe consequences. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help you avoid some or all of those consequences.

If you have been arrested, don’t wait. Contact Wolfe & Stec Ltd. at 630-305-0222 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your rights and your case.