September 9, 2021

Boyfriend Named “Person of Interest” After Woman Turns Up Missing

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

The family of a missing woman is becoming increasingly more desperate as attempts to find her come up empty. The woman was on a cross-country excursion with her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. Police have named the boyfriend a person of interest after failing to cooperate with the investigation. However, not answering the police’s questions is not an indication of wrongdoing.

Nonetheless, when police ask a close association of a missing person questions concerning their disappearance, their tendency is to assume that anyone who is impeding the investigation is responsible for the crime. However, police also tend to assume that boyfriends or husbands are responsible for the deaths of girlfriends and wives in a large cross-section of these sorts of cases. Hence, a boyfriend may be hesitant about providing information to officers who are prone to accuse him of the crime.

What happened?

April 17, 2020

Cases of Domestic Violence Spike During Quarantine

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

Last week, Kim Foxx announced that she would be shutting down operations for the domestic violence courthouse for 14 days after one of the employees tested positive for COVID-19. This is despite the fact that there has been a spike in domestic violence complaints during the shutdown.

As of the writing of this blog post, prosecutors had stopped hearing domestic violence cases in all but the most violent or dangerous of situations. The office assured those in difficult situations that they were setting up a means to field complaints by phone. Those in dangerous situations are currently advised to petition judges in civil court for injunctions, restraining orders, and more.

An Uptick Domestic Violence Hotline Calls

March 13, 2020

Lake County Councilman on Trial for Domestic Battery

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

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 originally listed.

The 46-year-old Washington has been convicted twice of domestic battery. In this case, Washington is accused of striking Gary Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade and holding her against her will for nearly 16 hours in her own home.

The continuance will allow the prosecution to depose the witnesses prior to the trial and allow the defense to introduce what is more than likely to be exculpatory evidence on Washington’s behalf.

February 28, 2020

Woman Under Investigation After Shooting Her Boyfriend

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

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 at her apartment. He also threatened to kill her mother, according to the woman.

River Grove police chief Mike Konwinski believes the woman should be charged with murder, but Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx says that there is not enough evidence to prosecute. Corniel’s family believes that the woman should be charged and in a statement, Corniel’s grandfather claimed that the killing was not self-defense, it was murder.

What Happened?

May 31, 2019

Details Surface Concerning Protective Order Against Mercy Hospital Shooter

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

Juan Lopez, the man who gunned down a police officer and two hospital employees (one of whom was his former fiance) before turning the gun on himself, is now known to have had an order of protection filed against him by his ex-wife. The same day, the man entered her home, stole some of her property, and then destroyed everything else. His ex-wife told officers that the man responsible for destruction and theft had a key to the place and that she had a protective order issued for her husband. Detectives never questioned Lopez, however, who would have been the key suspect in any follow-up investigation.

Reports Unearthed Years After Shooting

The Chicago Tribune unearthed the report years after the shooting after an open records request. The details raised renewed concerns about how seriously law enforcement takes restraining orders. In this case, the wife had a restraining order against her husband and the husband appeared to violate that restraining order, in the process, committing a serious crime. However, police never followed up on the lead and Lopez went on to commit an even more serious crime.

March 1, 2019

What You May Not Know About Domestic Violence Laws in Illinois

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

Because domestic violence is a very real and pervasive threat in the U.S., the Illinois legislature has concentrated on making domestic violence laws more stringent. Law enforcement in the state has created dynamic new policies. Prosecutors are now responsible for enforcing new laws in addition to ones that are already on the books.

Many people do not realize that the state files the criminal charges for domestic violence, not the victims. It is important that you have a clear understanding of the laws governing domestic violence and what may be ahead if you are convicted of such a crime. A Chicago domestic violence attorney can help assess your case and guide you through building your defense.

What You May Not Know About Domestic Violence Laws in Illinois

February 1, 2019

Illinois Laws on Domestic Violence or Abuse

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

On January 21, an individual was arrested for allegedly kicking his girlfriend in the stomach and killing her unborn child.

A neighbor told police that she heard a woman screaming at approximately 3:30 in the morning on January 19 before calling authorities. A 19-year-old woman then informed law enforcement that she had severe pain in her stomach because her boyfriend kicked her multiple times after the two had an argument in their apartment.

After the altercation, the boyfriend, 22-year-old Kahlil Ellison, fled the scene but was swiftly apprehended and taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies. Authorities reported the argument was over a cell phone.

December 14, 2018

What to Expect When Authorities Respond to a Domestic Violence Call

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

The 2017 Annual Report released by the Illinois Courts showed 2,790 new domestic related cases in the state. Contrary to popular misconceptions about domestic violence, the laws in Illinois that govern this crime reach much further than abusive spouses.

Illinois statute 750 ILCS 60 addresses domestic violence and defines it as a crime against another member of the same household. It also explicitly defines household members as former spouses, blood relatives, children, parents, and stepchildren, in addition to current spouses.

Domestic violence law in Illinois is differentiated from the same law in other states in that it encompasses harassment, intimidation, and other actions that do not involve physical harm. The determining factor is whether the assailant harasses, threatens, or inhibits the personal liberty of the victim. Regularly, verbal abuse or threats meet this criteria.

November 14, 2018

Clarifying Domestic Violence Laws in Chicago

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

A man from Aurora with a history of domestic abuse was convicted of punching and strangling his girlfriend while their child was in her arms.

The Kane County State’s Attorney’s office stated that 30-year-old Daniel Benson, Jr. allegedly assaulted his girlfriend after the pair had an argument. The victim was holding their child when Benson punched her in the ribs while in the kitchen of their home. The girlfriend then ran to the living room in an attempt to put the child in a bassinet.

Benson punched her again causing her to fall to the ground. According to police, Benson then strangled her for approximately 30 seconds, but stopped when he heard police.

October 24, 2018

What to Expect in a Domestic Violence Case

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

Chicago domestic violence cases are some of the most stressful and frightening for everyone involved. Not only is the defendant facing years in prison for the alleged crime, but the victim has to face his or her attacker once again. What many people do not realize is that when someone calls 911 to report domestic violence the police, have to arrest the accused even if the caller does not want to press charges. The state is the entity that winds up pressing charges against someone accused of domestic violence. Let us take a look at what to expect in a domestic violence case in Illinois.

First Court Appearance

If you have been charged with domestic violence in Chicago you will notice that the first court appearance will be a bond hearing in front of a judge. Many charged with domestic violence for the first time will be surprised that they can not post bond at the police station, which is how it is done for almost all other types of misdemeanor crimes. Instead, the defendant will need to wait until a bond hearing can be scheduled with a judge.