LAKE COUNTY CRIMINAL & TRAFFIC LAW FIRM
Traffic Charges & Moving Violations
The Office of the Illinois Secretary of State maintains your driving record. Your complete driving record contains a history of convictions, dispositions of court supervision, any failures to appear in court, failures to pay required fines, and any prior suspensions or revocations of your driver’s license. Something as fundamental as your ability to legally drive depends on the condition of your driving record. 
Learn more...
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
If you’ve been charged with DUI, the defense of your case should begin today. This is because Illinois has some of the toughest laws against drunk driving in the country. More than in other areas, the laws against DUI, and the whole procedure in which they are prosecuted, can seem heavily stacked against the individual. Learn more...
Lake County, Illinois Misdemeanor Charges
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. Learn more...
Waukegan, Illinois Felony Cases
A felony is a criminal offense that can carry a penalty of a year or more in prison. In many instances, persons convicted of felony offenses also are eligible for probation. A felony charge is a serious matter. The attorney you select to defend your felony case should have significant prior experience working in felony court. Learn more...
Lake County, IL Drug Case Defense Attorney
Drug and narcotics crimes in Illinois can be either misdemeanors or felonies. The level of punishment that can be imposed for a drug offense generally depends on the type and amount of drug in question. While the possession of large amounts of controlled substances frequently carries a mandatory prison sentence, the penalties for most drug offenses allow for dispositions of probation and other lesser sentences. Learn more...
UUW, Aggravated UUW, Weapon Case Defense
Weapons violations in Illinois can carry either misdemeanor or felony penalties. This means that depending on the circumstance, weapons offenses can be punished by fines, jail sentences, or sentences to the penitentiary. The right to keep and bear arms is guaranteed to citizens of the United States under the Second Amendment. However, with certain exceptions, in Illinois it is illegal to acquire or possess a firearm without a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card. Learn more...
Crimes Allegedly Committed by Children
If your child has been charged with a crime in juvenile court, this office understands that this can be a difficult time for you and your family. Frequently, emotions run high when a child has been charged with a delinquent act. Formal courtroom proceedings can be involved, requiring you and your child to appear before judges and prosecutors. Sentences of probation and even to the Juvenile Department of Corrections can be imposed. This can be a confusing and stressful time for you and those you love. Learn more...
A Waukegan Law Practice Protecting Your Rights
Attorney Matt Hoffman has been practicing criminal, dui and traffic law in Waukegan, Illinois for nearly ten years. Whether you are charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, possession of cannabis or retail theft, or you are charged with a serious felony, a DUI or a traffic ticket, Hoffman knows what it takes to defend your case. Call (877) 360-1880 for a free consultation.
Waukegan criminal lawyer Matt Hoffman handles all levels of Illinois domestic battery charges. In Illinois, the least-serious version of the charge of domestic battery is a class A misdemeanor. This means that domestic battery is a criminal offense that is punishable by up to 364 days in jail and up to a $2,500.00 fine. A domestic battery charge may allege that the person charged inflicted bodily harm, or may allege that the person charged made physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature. Jail sentences imposed on bodily harm charges do not entitle a defendant to good conduct, or “day-for-day,” credit upon those sentences. Enhanced versions of domestic battery may be charged as class 4 felonies. There are many different statutory grounds in Illinois for enhanced, or elevated, domestic battery charges. Some of these grounds include cases where a defendant has previously been convicted of domestic battery, violation of an order of protection, or any number of sex offenses or other crimes involving bodily harm or threats of bodily harm. For a detailed list of prior convictions that serve a basis of enhanced domestic battery charges, see 720 ILCS 5/12-3.2. In other situations, a charge of aggravated domestic battery may be brought. Aggravated domestic battery may be charged where there is an allegation of great bodily harm, or permanent disability or disfigurement. Aggravated domestic battery is a class 2 felony. Domestic battery differs from regular battery in that it requires proof that the defendant and the alleged victim were family or household members, whereas regular battery does not. Family or household members include spouses, former spouses, parents, children, stepchildren and other persons related by blood or by present or prior marriage, persons who share or formerly shared a common dwelling, persons who have or allegedly have a child in common, persons who allegedly share a blood relationship through a child, persons who have or have had a dating or engagement relationship, and persons with disabilities and their personal assistants and caregivers. Most frequently, at a bond hearing on a domestic battery case, the judge will enter an order as a condition of bond that the defendant have no violent or harassing contact with the alleged victim, or no contact whatsoever at least until the charges have been resolved. A disposition of court supervision may not be imposed for domestic battery. Waukegan attorney Matt Hoffman offers a free consultation on every case. Copyright © 2007-2009, All rights reserved, Matthew T. Hoffman P.C.
