Articles Posted in Criminal Defense

Henry Jesus Mendez, 21, was arrested in connection with car chase that resulted in a crash in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Mendez allegedly began firing a gun at individuals he recently had an altercation with at a nearby nightclub. Police officers heard the gunshots and responded to the scene where witnesses pointed out the…

Bruce Brandwein, defense attorney for Alia Bernard, will argue that the “any amount” of marijuana law recently passed by the Illinois Supreme Court is unconstitutional and violates equal protection under the law. Bernard was originally charged with reckless homicide, but aggravated DUI charges were filed after blood test detected some amount of marijuana in her…

Michael Villanueva, 25, was pronounced dead at the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood after a DUI crash on the Eisenhower Expressway near Oak Park. Villanueva was standing outside his vehicle, which had crashed into a wall on the expressway, when he was struck by an SUV driven by a 61 year old woman. The…

Annabella Loerop, 4, was killed when she was hit by a vehicle driven by an allegedly drunk teen. The 17 year old, Deandre Wolf, has been charged with driving under the influence of marijuana and reckless homicide in the death of the four year old. Wolf, 16 years old at the time of the incident,…

William Anthony Howe was driving a Porsche the wrong-way on Interstate 88 when he struck a vehicle killing a woman and her father and seriously injuring her husband. Howe remains hospitalized. He has not yet been charged with the crash or been confirmed as the driver. However, witnesses reported he was swerving all over the…

Miguel Salas, 24, and Juan Martinez, 25 have both been charged with aggravated battery after allegedly beating a cabdriver after getting a ride from Rolling Meadows to Mount Prospect. The charge is considered to a class-three felony and punishable by two to five years in prison. Salas has also been charged with attempted robbery. After…

Marquis Harrison, a 16 year-old honors student at Urban Prep Charter Academy, left a party around 6 a.m. on July 11 allegedly high on ecstasy, marijuana, and vodka. Harrison noticed that the driver of a Range Rover went to pay the parking meter in Old Town and seized the opportunity. He proceeded to steal the…

Martin Candia, 31, was driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.095 when the parked SUV he crashed into pinned a 10-year-old boy between two vehicles. The boy, Calvin Santos, died later that morning. Candia plead guilty to one count of aggravated DUI involving a death and was sentenced to 7 years in prison as…

The Illinois Department of Transportation is reminding motorist to drive sober this Fourth of July weekend. In an effort to ensure safe roadways and prevent DUI, the Illinois State Police along with over 300 local police and sheriff departments are conducting roadside safety checks as well as nighttime safety belt enforcement zones. Additionally, patrols will…

William McCann, 66, was walking home when a 2002 Dodge Neon hit him as he was crossing the street. McCann hit the windshield and fell to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, after allegedly running over him and dragging him about 150 feet, stopped the car and took off running…