Chicago Taxi Battery Attorneys

Accused of taxi theft of services or battery against a Chicago cab driver? Call our Chicago criminal defense attorneys today at (312) 466-9466 to discuss your case.

The Law Office of Steven R. Hunter has recently seen an increase in complaints by cab drivers.

Chicago City Ordinances require cab drivers to accept credit cards. However, cab drivers paid through credit cards must declare all of their income on their taxes. If cabbies are paid in cash, they can underreport their income.

This has led to a number of cases in which cab drivers have insisted that their credit card reader is "out of order" and demanded cash. Arguments have resulted, with the cabbies calling the police and claiming 1) theft of services, or 2) battery. This is so even though it is the cab drivers who are irate over not being paid in cash.

An experienced Chicago misdemeanor attorney will have a number of approaches for this type of case. The primary strategy is to show that the cabbie has the motive to lie, not the defendant. The defense will present evidence that the client had a credit card to pay the fee in his possession. This defeats the claim of theft of services, and removes any motive for the defendant to be angry with the defendant. Other evidence, such as third party witnesses or injuries to the defendant can also tip the scales in favor of the defense.