Criminal defense

November 4, 2022

Woman Held After Stabbing Boyfriend Over Microwave Dispute

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chicago woman is being charged with murder after stabbing her boyfriend to death. According to police, the incident was related to a dispute over who could use the microwave first. The woman was eight months pregnant at the time of the stabbing, and she and her boyfriend were living together, according to police.

According to the press release, a dispute broke out over who was going to reheat their leftovers first, which turned into a shoving match. The boyfriend went to lie down in his room, but the girlfriend continued to argue. Eventually, she approached his bedroom with a knife. An uncle attempted to prevent her from getting closer, but she reached around him and stabbed the boyfriend in the thigh. He died after bleeding out from his femoral artery. She then dropped the knife and fled the scene, according to reports.

The woman is facing one charge of first-degree murder and is being held without bond. As of the stabbing, police were called to five reports of domestic violence, with the defendant listed as the aggressor. All of these incidents occurred over a four-month period between June and September. In one incident that occurred in late August, the defendant was listed as the aggressor in an incident that left her boyfriend with a stab wound to the neck. The boyfriend refused to press charges over the incident.

November 2, 2022

Justice Department Announces Charges Against Catalytic Converter Ring

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

The Justice Department announced charges against 21 individuals involved in an organized theft of catalytic converters. From 2018 to 2020, catalytic converter thefts skyrocketed by nearly 700%. Catalytic converters are now big money due in large part to the precious metals used in the manufacture of devices. They are designed to convert harmful gas emissions created by your vehicle into non-harmful gas emissions that reduce smog and protect the environment. Without a catalytic converter, your car will not run properly, either. As the value of these precious metals has increased over the past few years (think inflation), catalytic converters are becoming a prime target for thieves.

As of right now, some states have moved to place catalytic converters on a list of restricted items that require ownership documentation and provenance to exchange. Others have yet to pass legislation addressing the thefts of catalytic converters, but as the situation worsens, chances are likely that more states will join in to include catalytic converters on lists of restricted items.

The 21 individuals charged in the ring lived in nine separate states. 32 search warrants were executed, and millions in assets were seized as a part of the investigation.

October 28, 2022

Man Arrested for Attempted Rape of Postal Worker

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chicago man was arrested after the attempted rape of a female postal worker in Little Village over the weekend. According to the police report, the postal worker found the man waiting for her in her truck. An altercation ensued, and the postal worker was able to escape. However, the man then stole the mail truck. He has since been charged with attempted criminal sexual assault and vehicular hijacking. The postal worker was taken to a hospital and released.

The Post Office offered a $50,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the man’s arrest. The surveillance video image shows a clear shot of the defendant’s face.

The defendant faces a litany of charges, any one of which could put him behind bars for decades or more. With the volume of major felonies he is facing, the defendant is unlikely to see the outside of a prison cell again. They have him at least on grand theft of government property and battery on a government employee. The victim will provide testimony as to the rest of the elements of the prosecution’s case involving attempted sexual assault.

October 26, 2022

No Criminal Charges for 17-Year-Old After Accidental Shooting Death

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Police have elected not to press charges against a 17-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed an 8-year-old boy while handling a gun. In cases like these, it is often the gun owner who faces charges for failing to properly secure the gun in a locked safe unloaded as the law requires. However, no one will face charges related to this incident. In some cases, the outcome of an event is tragic enough that the law does not see fit to punish those responsible further. In this case, the gun should not have been accessible to the 17-year-old, and it should not have been loaded.

Is it Illegal to Improperly Store a Gun?

Yes, but the penalties for this crime are closer to a traffic violation than an actual crime. You can face a $10,000 penalty if a minor gains access to your gun and harms themselves or someone else. Generally speaking, you can also face civil penalties related to injuries suffered by a victim of an accidental gunshot wound.

October 19, 2022

AT&T, Former House Speaker, Facing Corruption Charges

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Chicago politicians facing corruption charges are about the most Chicago thing you can think of. However, what goes into these corruption charges? Do all politicians bend and break the law like this? Are criminal charges related to corruption simply an indication that a specific politician has fallen out of favor with the local elites? These are all valid questions that you can ask, and unfortunately, we do not really have the answers to them. It may not necessarily even be clear to laypeople what is and is not illegal. In most of these criminal prosecutions, it isn’t necessarily clear to the defendants either, who almost always argue that their conduct was legal and did not constitute a crime.

What Happened Here?

Michael Madigan arranged for a political ally to receive a $22,000 payment from AT&T’s lobbying firm in exchange for a favorable vote on legislation that would have benefited AT&T. Is that legal? It depends on how it’s done. In this case, the individual who received the payment provided no work for AT&T. He simply received money as a chit for Madigan and his political allies to consolidate power. Now, it may not be apparent why this is valuable, but individuals like Madigan control people and their livelihoods and create networks of allies that consolidate power. If you think of it like a market, it becomes easier to understand. Madigan and his political allies sought to control the Illinois power market by consolidating power around themselves and their allies. Is that necessarily illegal? No. But brokering power in this way extorts money from businesses, reduces the competitive vigor of the market, and the general belief is that it makes things worse for everyone.

October 14, 2022

Chicago Police Officers Face Charges Related to Shooting of Unarmed Man

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Two Chicago police officers have been charged after an on-duty shooting of an unarmed man, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. Charges were filed after video surveillance contradicted statements made by the police officers concerning the incident. The two officers now face charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and official misconduct. Each of these is a felony with a potential sentence of up to 30 years. The two have been relieved of duty.

The victim did not have a weapon, nor did he fire a weapon when police officers shot at him. He has since filed a lawsuit against the Chicago police. The man was shot twice in the back and once in the leg. His attorney says that he was not a threat to police officers when he was shot.

The situation was made worse after the victim was brought to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital, the victim was pulled away to answer questions. He was later released without charges and sent back to the hospital. He was still in pain and bleeding when he was he was being questioned.

October 12, 2022

Three Teens Charged in Carjacking Spree, Vehicular Homicide

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Four people, including three teens, have been charged in a carjacking spree that ended with the death of a 55-year-old woman. Police say the perpetrators carjacked two women, set a pickup truck on fire, and then caused a deadly crash after a police chase. The 17-year-old driver has been charged with murder and three counts of aggravated fleeing. Another 17-year-old has been charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon. Others are facing charges of trespass to a vehicle and weapons violations.

The teens carjacked two vehicles in a short time before setting fire to a pickup truck they had stolen earlier. At that point, police became aware of the teens, and a chase ensued. The chase reached speeds of 60 mph and only stopped when the stolen vehicle crashed into a Toyota driven by the 55-year-old victim.

Understanding the Murder Charge

October 7, 2022

18-Year-Old Held After Carjacking, Battery, Against 61-Year-Old Man

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Police have confirmed the arrest of an 18-year-old after a vicious carjacking against a 61-year-old man in Chinatown. The man was also of Asian descent. It is unclear if the man was targeted because of his ethnicity, but crimes against the Asian population have skyrocketed since COVID-19. Asian business owners are now being targeted for hate crimes and burglaries. Many believe that Asians avoid using banks, making their homes prime targets to rob. In this case, the perpetrators may have targeted the area hoping to find an Asian with a wad of cash on them. Nonetheless, the beating itself was vicious, and the 61-year-old man was found unconscious in the street.

Police believe that there are four suspects involved in the carjacking, but thus far, only one of them has been apprehended. The suspect is currently being charged with attempted murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking. Another juvenile has been arrested in connection with possessing the victim’s stolen vehicle, but it is not believed that he was involved in the carjacking attempt. It is unclear if he will be charged with a crime.

The carjacking

October 5, 2022

CPD Officer Facing Sexual Assault Charges for Incident with Transgender Citizen

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A federal grand jury has indicted a Chicago police officer on charges of illegally detaining a trans woman and forcing her to perform sexual services against the threat of going to jail. The officer was a 29-year veteran with the force when he resigned in 2019. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He also faced a civil complaint filed by the victim. The complaint was settled in 2020, but little is known about the details of the settlement.

The same officer was accused in another complaint of sexual misconduct after demanding that a woman he had just pulled over follow him to an alley, where he proceeded to masturbate. That lawsuit was settled in 2019. Now, the officer is facing criminal charges related to sexual misconduct under the color of law. As of 2019, the officer had faced 44 complaints. The officer has been charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, a federal crime that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Since the allegations include sexual abuse, kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment, extortion, and whatever else, prosecutors will be looking to place the officer behind bars for as long as they possibly can.

Analyzing the charges

September 30, 2022

Former Chinese Exchange Student Turns Out to be a Spy

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chinese foreign exchange student and his handler were accused by the U.S. government of attempting to steal trade secrets from American companies. While most companies sell stuff on the internet, some companies actually produce innovative technologies that are protected by patents. If there is one thing communists do not care about, it’s patents or intellectual property. The student was accused of collecting the names of major scientists and engineers to target for theft of trade secrets. His handler was also convicted at trial in the first criminal case against a Chinese spy in the history of the U.S.

The student was caught after attempting to recruit a contact stateside. He texted a picture of his contract with the Chinese intelligence agency MSS. Prosecutors used this image to convict the student. However, they had to explain to the jury why a Chinese spy would use his cell phone to text spy contracts. They managed to convince the jury that while spies tend to have a very select skill set, not all of them are of James Bond quality. In fact, the Chinese government likely recruited the student because he was an electrical engineering major and not because he was a smooth sociopath acting at the behest of his national interests. The student seemed particularly interested in scientists from China and Taiwan working in the aerospace field. Seven of the scientists worked for U.S. defense contractors.

The student graduated from college in 2015 and then enlisted in the army reserves through a program that attracts foreign nationals with specialized skills considered vital to U.S. military defense.