LAKE COUNTY ILLINOIS MISDEMEANOR LAWYER
Retail Theft, Cannabis, Domestic Battery Charges
As a criminal lawyer, Matt Hoffman has successfully handled thousands of misdemeanor cases. This office defends all types of misdemeanor charges in the Lake County and Cook County courts. Types of misdemeanor cases this office defends include:
Theft and Related Offenses
Retail Theft
- Theft, Deceptive Practices, Theft of Services
"Crimes of Violence"
Domestic Battery
- Assault, Aggravated Assault, Battery, Violation of Order of Protection
All Misdemeanor Drug Charges (pot, marijuana, ganja, grass, reefer)
Unlawful Possession of Cannabis (UPC)
All Misdemeanor Gun and Weapons Charges
- Including Unlawful Use of a Weapon (UUW)
Vandalism and Property Damage
- Criminal Damage to Property, Criminal Defacement of Property
Trespass and Related Offenses
- Criminal trespass to land, residence, or vehicle
All Misdemeanor Sex Offenses
- Criminal Sexual Abuse, Solicitation, Prostitution
Other Offenses
- Disorderly Conduct, Reckless Conduct, Child Endangerment, Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, Telephone Harrassment, Obstructing a Peace Officer, Attempt Obstruction of Justice
Misdemeanor Penalties, Fines, Jail Sentences
A misdemeanor is a criminal offense that can carry a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail. Common misdemeanor offenses range from the possession of small amounts of cannabis (marijuana), to assault, battery, domestic battery, theft and retail theft. Misdemeanor charges encompass a wide range of criminal conduct, but conduct that is not serious enough to warrant a sentence to the state prison system.
Misdemeanor charges fall into three different categories: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A misdemeanors are the most serious and carry a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.00. Class B misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,500.00. Finally, Class C misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,500.00. All misdemeanors will end up on your criminal record if you are found guilty.
Waukegan Attorney Defending Misdemeanor Cases
Although a conviction for a misdemeanor offense will not land a person in prison, it can still send a person to the county jail and have other significant impacts on a person’s life. Because of this, Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. takes its defense of misdemeanor cases as seriously as its defense of felonies.
This law office believes firmly in your Constitutional right to be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. To this end, it works hard to protect its clients’ rights throughout the misdemeanor court process. If you are charged with a misdemeanor offense but demand the skill and expertise of a seasoned felony attorney, this office will be happy to discuss your case.
Former Lake County, IL Assistant State's Attorney
As an Assistant State's Attorney in the Lake County State's Attorney's Office from 1999 to 2005, before graduating to higher levels in the Office, Matt Hoffman practiced law in all of Lake County's misdemeanor courts. Not only did he practice law in those courtrooms, but he prosecuted hundreds upon hundreds of misdemeanor defendants.
Because he worked as a prosecutor on a wide variety of misdemeanor cases, Hoffman knows what the prosecution can and will do to try to "win" your case. The prosecution, government and law enforcement have tremendous resources at their disposal to investigate and prosecute allegations of crime. Hoffman knows these things because he spent over 6 years working for the government and with the police in Lake County.
Today, Hoffman uses the skills and knowledge he developed in his days as a prosecutor to represent, counsel and defend clients charged with misdemeanors and all other types of crimes. Although he is licensed to practice anywhere in the State, he focuses the geographical scope of his pratice on Lake and Cook counties. He appears regulary in matters pending in Waukegan, Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Bridgeview, Maywood, and throughout the City of Chicago.
Hoffman understands that not only are the nature of criminal charges of great concern to his clients, but the cost of obtaining excellent legal representation is of significant concern as well. For this reason, Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. endeavors to work with its clients in structuring and agreeing upon reasonable attorney's fees.
If you are charged with a misdemeanor, contact this office at (877) 360-1880 for a free initial office consultation to discuss your case.
In most Lake County, Illinois misdemeanor cases, after a person has been arrested, the arresting agency will require that the arrestee either posts a small cash bond at the police station or will release the person on a recognizance bond. A recognizance bond (known as an “I-bond” in Cook County) merely requires an arrestee’s signature and the person’s promise to appear in misdemeanor court on a future date. In the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois, which is located at 18 N. County Street in downtown Waukegan, many misdemeanor defendants thereafter are required to appear for arraignment in courtroom C-301. If DUI has been charged, the defendant will be given a court date for arraignment somewhere on the fourth floor of that same courthouse. In “domestic” situations, however, where charges of domestic battery, violation of an order of protection, or any charge of a domestic nature has been brought, frequently the person arrested will not be released by the arresting agency, but instead will be held in custody by the police, transported to the Lake County Jail, and promptly brought before a bond court judge. It will be in bond court where the person’s bond is determined by the presiding judge, and the case is assigned to courtroom C-221, the “domestic violence” courtroom, for further proceedings and possible trial. A defendant in a criminal case always has a right to an attorney. Copyright © 2007-2009, All Rights Reserved, Matthew T. Hoffman P.C.
