Treja Kelley was asked to take the stand against the man who had killed her cousin. After she helped the state secure a guilty verdict, a $5,000 bounty was placed on her head. A few months after she testified, Kelley was shot and killed. She was 18 years old, and…
Articles Posted in Criminal defense
Kelly Asks Court to Release Him Amid Coronavirus Fears
R. Kelly has been denied a request to seek release from jail during the coronavirus outbreak. The disgraced singer’s attorneys filed a request for bond with the U.S. District Court in Chicago. Attorneys for Kelly claimed that because of his advanced age (53) he was at high risk of contracting…
Sick People Could be Fined for Going Outside
Each state has its own laws when dealing with quarantine orders. There are also federal laws that lay out penalties for violating a quarantine order. These laws vary widely from one state to another. In some places, like Florida, you can be charged with a misdemeanor and face six months…
Missouri Man Charged with Making Terror Threat in Grocery Store
In the age of the coronavirus, crime still exists even as the courts are mostly shut down across the United States and especially here in Illinois. In fact, throughout much of the U.S., the criminal justice system is on pause. However, in Missouri, one man has been charged with making…
Shomari Legghette Unsurprisingly Convicted of First-Degree Murder
A Chicago jury has convicted Shomari Legghette of the first-degree murder of Chicago police officer Paul Bauer. Legghette attempted to say that the shooting was in self-defense, but the jury listened to evidence that Bauer had pursued Legghette after other officers called in suspicious activity around the Thompson Center. Bauer…
Lake County Councilman on Trial for Domestic Battery
Monday, a judge delayed the trial of former Lake County councilman Jamal A. Washington. Washington is being charged for the third time with domestic battery. The initial date had been set for April, but Washington’s attorney asked for a continuance because he plans on calling more witnesses than he had…
Feds Delay R. Kelly Trial After Major Seizure
Federal agents have seized 100 electronic devices after executing a search warrant of R. Kelly’s property. The seizure has resulted in a postponement of R. Kelly’s trial while investigators and prosecutors determine whether or not there is any new information that can potentially be used to charge Kelly with more…
Trial of Man Charged in Death of Decorated CPD Veteran Begins
The trial of Shomari Legghette is set to begin. Legghette is charged with murdering 31-year Chicago police commander Paul Bauer after the two men tussled in a stairwell outside the Thompson Center in February of 2018. Legghette faces an uphill battle. Legghette faces a first-degree murder charge along with several…
Woman Under Investigation After Shooting Her Boyfriend
Hours after sharing a meal together, an unnamed woman shot and killed her boyfriend, Steef Giovanni Corniel. The woman told police that Corniel had struck her several times and been physically abusive in the past. She said that Corniel had struck her while she was driving and later choked her…
Jussie Smollett Could Face Federal Trial
The former Empire star who allegedly got himself beat up to provoke racial tensions could still face the same charges again. Typically, double jeopardy would prevent such a trial from ever occurring, but a little-known precedent established right here in Cook County may allow prosecutors to file charges again after…