Criminal defense

September 15, 2023

Chicago Man Found Guilty of Rape of 15-Year-Old Girl

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

A Chicago man was recently found guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old girl while she was walking home in 2017. The 66-year-old defendant had been charged with two counts of rape, attempted rape, criminal confinement, armed robbery, and battery with a deadly weapon. The defendant was convicted on each of the seven counts and faces a maximum prison sentence of 146 years behind bars. The defendant rejected a 40-year prison sentence in a plea deal offered by the state.

According to the charges, the defendant had followed the 15-year-old girl down the street as she was walking home. He dragged her into an alley, where he raped her, according to prosecutors. The same defendant has another count of rape filed against him. He has been charged in Chicago with raping another woman at knifepoint in East Chicago.

Sexual Assault Charges in Chicago, IL

September 13, 2023

Ron Jeremy Ruled Mentally Incompetent to Stand Trial Over Rape Charges

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

Former porn star Ron Jeremy has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial by the judge presiding over his case. He faced dozens of rape charges but was only recently in the news after victims came out to share their stories. A judge declared that he was in “incurable neurocognitive decline,” and his condition was unlikely to improve. Prosecutors have asked that Jeremy be routinely reevaluated in case his condition improves. A hearing deciding Jeremy’s fate will be held later. He is likely to end up in a state hospital.

Jeremy pleaded not guilty after a grand jury indicted him on 34 counts of sexual assault. 12 of those counts included allegations of forcible rape. His defense attorney stated that he believed Jeremy would be found innocent of the charges. He expressed regret that Jeremy would not have the chance to defend himself in a court of law.

The law requires those who are facing charges to understand the charges filed against them and be able to participate in their own defense. The court ruled that Jeremy did not understand the charges against him due to his health and could not participate in his own defense. This is different than an insanity plea. Below, we’ll discuss the case in more detail.

September 8, 2023

Chicago Wrongly Places Felonies on the Records of Those in Diversion Programs

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

The City of Chicago has been wrongly placing felonies on the records of those in diversion programs. Having a felony on your record can make it difficult to find housing or apply for a job. In one case, a man who was identified as Malcolm in an article published by the Chicago Sun-Times lost his job because his employer found out about a felony on his record. However, he had only been arrested for a low-level crime and pleaded it down as part of a diversion program.

In many cases, these were people who were promised a clean record if they successfully completed a diversion program. Malcolm had a good job and was proud that he was able to provide for his children. He was offered a diversion program as part of a felony case and promised that he would have a clean record if he completed the diversion program. Instead, the felony popped up on his record and cost him his job. He was shocked. As it turns out, Cook County had wrongly been placing felonies on the records of those who completed diversion programs over the past three years.

Malcolm became homeless as a result of losing his job. He began sleeping in doorways after he could no longer pay his rent.

September 1, 2023

Chicago Prosecutors Drop Cases That Relied on Officer Accused of Perjury

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

Chicago prosecutors are dropping cases that relied on a Chicago police officer’s testimony after that officer was accused of perjury. The officer testified that his girlfriend had stolen his car in order to get dozens of traffic tickets against him dismissed. The officer is accused of perjuring himself 44 times in a bid to get traffic tickets dismissed. The tickets involved running a red light, speeding, and parking violations.

Perjuring yourself under oath is considered a criminal act. But more so, any defense attorney who tried a case involving the officer would bring up the fact that he was willing to lie under oath. In many cases, the facts of the case rely entirely on an officer’s testimony. Since the officer is no longer considered a reliable witness, this places the cases involving his testimony in peril. It could also result in appeals for convictions in which the case hinged on his testimony.

An assistant state’s attorney has declined to pursue seven cases in which the officer made the arrest. Some of these cases dated as far back as 2021. The assistant state attorney offered no reason for refusing to pursue the cases, but defense counsel made mention of the officer’s credibility problems.

August 30, 2023

Chicago Supreme Court Rules Ending Cash Bail is Constitutional

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

The Illinois Supreme Court recently ruled that one of the provisions of the SAFE-T Act that would end cash bail is constitutional. The decision will allow Illinois to become the first state in the country to end cash bail. Instead of cash bail, judges will have the ultimate discretion on whether or not an individual is released from prison prior to their case.

Gov. Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act into law the previous year. This one provision, whether or not to eliminate cash bail, was thwarted by the courts. The issue boils down to fairness. In many cases, an individual could be held in jail on charges that they could later defeat in court. However, if they could not afford to pay their bail, it acted as leverage for prosecutors to coerce a guilty plea out of them. In other words, they were held in jail until they pleaded guilty to the charges, and if they refused to plead guilty, they would remain in jail until a trial could be scheduled. This created an unfair situation for the poorest defendants who could not bond out of jail.

The provision is known as The Pre-trial Fairness Act. It was among the most controversial aspects of the bill. The cash bail provision was set to go into effect on January 1 of this year. Several prosecutors and sheriffs, however, filed cases in an attempt to halt the act. The provision was thus suspended until the cases could be heard by another court. The case made it all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court before the provision was passed in a 5-2 vote.

August 23, 2023

Chicago Woman Charged With Emailing Death Threats to Donald Trump

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

A Chicago-area woman is facing charges of emailing death threats to former President Donald Trump. She also mentioned his son Barron in the threat. The 41-year-old defendant is accused under federal law of transmitting threats to kill or injure, according to the U.S. attorney’s office here in Chicago.

According to federal authorities, the defendant sent the following message: “I will state that I will shoot Donald Trump, Sr. AND Barron Trump straight in the face at any opportunity I get!” She emailed this statement to the head of an educational institution in the Palm Beach, Florida, area.

Understanding the Law

August 18, 2023

Chicago Police Officer and Sister Convicted of Charges Stemming From January 6th

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

A Chicago police officer and his sister have been convicted of several counts related to the January 6th riot at the Capitol. The officer was convicted of entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in the Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol building. The jury acquitted the police officer of another crime. He was accused of entering the office of Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley.

He is one of several individuals who have been charged with serious crimes related to the January 6th riot. The most serious charges have been filed against those who either attacked Capitol police that day or organized the event to storm the Capitol building during the swearing-in of incumbent President Joe Biden.

18 Years for Stewart Rhodes

August 9, 2023

Jury Foreman Claims He Regrets Finding Defendant Guilty

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

A 20-year-old juror says that he could not sleep after convicting a defendant of being an armed habitual criminal and battery of a police officer. He later called the conviction a “cover-up.” Nonetheless, the defendant was convicted and will go to jail, though he may have grounds for an appeal.

An altercation between the defendant and the police officers occurred after the defendant ran into an apartment complex. The defendant was on probation for a drug-related crime and subject to a curfew. Police followed the defendant into the apartment complex and fired on him. They claimed he had a gun, a fact which the defendant denied. The prosecution failed to present fingerprint evidence tying the defendant to the gun.

It remains unclear why the juror voted to convict the defendant when he clearly believed that he was innocent. However, it gives you a sense of how our jury system works and why, sometimes, defendants are convicted based only on the say-so of the police.

August 2, 2023

As Gun Possession Arrests Double, Shootings Remain High

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

Renewed focus on weapons charges is producing interesting, if disappointing, results. While arrests have doubled for possession of weapons charges, shootings remain high and frequently result in no arrest. The problem is that the majority of these arrests are targeting Black men but have not resulted in an overall reduction of violent crime.

The race to get guns off the street ensures that police officers will use any potential pretext as a reason to search suspects. This can include innocuous traffic stops for tinted windows, the smell of weed, or a bulge in a fanny pack. Police believe that every gun recovered is a potential life saved. But lives are also destroyed in the process. However, the majority of weapons-related charges involve allegations of possession and not use. Violent crimes involving guns remain difficult to solve, and police have overwhelmingly charged Black men with weapons violations. Even as the number of possession-related arrests doubled, the number of violent crimes involving guns escalated over the same period.

Statistics on Gun Possession Charges

July 28, 2023

Chicago Man Charged With Five Counts After Leading Police on High-Speed Chase

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

A Chicago man is facing five charges in Racine County after leading police on a high-speed chase. He is charged with reckless endangerment, grand theft of an automobile, unlawful possession of a firearm, and felony counts of attempting to elude police officers.

According to police, a deputy observed a white Infinity Sedan speeding on the I-94. The deputy began to pursue the vehicle, and road spikes were used to deflate the suspect’s tires. The vehicle began to lose one of its tires as it attempted to exit the highway. The suspect crashed the vehicle outside of a business and then began to flee on foot. The chase lasted for 16.7 miles reaching a top speed of 135 mph.

Deputies apprehended the suspect and searched the vehicle finding a handgun with an extended magazine on the floor of the passenger side of the vehicle. According to the complaint, there was one bullet in the chamber and another 18 in the magazine. The suspect did not have a valid concealed carry permit.