McHenry County Criminal Defense Lawyer

Don't roll the dice with your future. If you have been arrested for a crime in McHenry County Illinois, you need a criminal defense attorney you can trust. At the Law Offices of Steven R. Hunter, we have three decades of experience defending defendants just like you. To talk with a McHenry County criminal attorney about your case, give our office a call at (312) 466-9466.

If you've been accused of committing a crime in McHenry, the penalties could be serious. For this reason, you need someone who is equally serious about criminal defense on your team.

We defend McHenry County residents facing any felony or misdemeanor criminal charge, including, but not limited to:

• Domestic Violence Crimes: domestic battery, stalking, child abuse
• Drug Crimes: drug trafficking, possession, possession with intent to sell,
• Drunk Driving: felony DUI/aggravated DUI, underage drinking and driving,
• Sex Offenses: sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, soliciting, statutory rape, harassment
• Crimes against property: robbery, arson, theft, auto theft
• Violent crimes: murder, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault and battery

Understanding Consequences and Rights

A conviction for any of these crimes can lead to fines, court supervision, probation, or jail time. These sentences can be permanent on your criminal record and affect your future employment and educational opportunities.

If you've been charged with a crime, you have the right to an attorney. If the origin of your criminal charges was an arrest, the police must inform you of your rights, often referred to as Miranda rights. Under United States law, you have the right to remain silent. It is important to invoke this right, because anything you say can later be used by the prosecution to incriminate you. It is also within your rights to have your lawyer with you during police questioning.

Avoiding a Conviction

An arrest is a harrowing experience, especially for those who have never faced criminal charges before. However, not everyone who is arrested is guilty of committing a criminal offense. The law establishes all accused of committing a crime innocent until proven guilty. An arrest does not mean a conviction. However, you should be sure to consult an experienced McHenry criminal attorney as soon as possible to begin the process of defending against the State's accusations.

Once formal charges have been entered against you, have a right to a trial by judge or jury. There is also the option to plead guilty and accept a plea bargain. Plea bargains often result in more expedient release and milder consequences than if you had opted for a trial and consequently been found guilty. As your attorney, we work to represent your interests in court, and ultimately you are the decisionmaker about which path you choose to pursue.

Find the Best McHenry County Criminal Defense Attorney for Your Case

It is a common myth that you are better off defending yourself in court than hiring an attorney. It can be tempting to try to move forward on your own. However, it makes a significant difference to hire a lawyer right at the outset of your case. Time is of the essence, and it is in your best interest to get in touch with a knowledge McHenry criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can.

When selecting an attorney, it is important to find someone who is highly specialized in the field of criminal defense. At the Law Office of Steven R. Hunter, we don't practice any other type of law -- protecting criminal defendants' rights is our specialty and we have pursued this work tirelessly for over 30 years.

We take the tenet "innocent until proven guilty" to heart. We strongly believe in this notion and advocate zealously for our McHenry County clients. We have represented clients charged with a wide variety of crimes, from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies. We help people in Crystal Lake, McHenry, Algonquin, Woodstock, and other McHenry County cities who have been accused of a criminal offense.

Useful McHenry County Criminal Defense Resources

It is the job of the criminal defense attorney to help you win your criminal case. What does it mean to "win" a case? This could mean several things. One outcome is that the Court finds you Not Guilty after a bench or jury trial. Alternatively, the prosecutor may drop the charges against you, or in some cases, reduce the charge to a lesser charge.

To win cases, experienced criminal defense attorneys meticulously craft a legal defense, harnessing relevant facts and evidence and constructing a nuanced argument that demonstrates how the defendant acted within the law. There are two sides to every story, and detailed investigation and evidence gathering can help demonstrate this fact in court.

Fighting a criminal charge can be a complicated and stressful process, but one way to improve that burden is to hire a lawyer you know you can trust. Below, you can find additional resources about McHenry County criminal defense and our practice.

• McHenry County Criminal Court -- If your loved one has been arrested and detained, he or she will appear before a judge to determine whether the court will offer the option of cash bond. This hearing, as well as all other hearings throughout criminal case process, will take place at McHenry County Courthouse. This article will provide information about court policies and procedures that criminal defendants in McHenry County and their family members should be aware of.
• McHenry County DUI Cases -- In Illinois, the legal blood alcohol limit is .08. Anyone found operating a vehicle above this threshold can be charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI). DUI is not uncommon in McHenry County, but there are numerous legal defenses available to defendants facing this charge, which are discussed in this article. With an effective criminal defense strategy, a defendant can avoid jail time or get the charges downgraded, often resulting in substance abuse treatment as a sentence instead of imprisonment.
• McHenry County Domestic Violence Lawyer -- Domestic violence is an umbrella term that encompasses several crimes prohibited under Illinois law, such as domestic battery, harassment, and domestic assault. We have represented scores of clients accused of this type of crime. In this article, we discuss what Illinois law says on the matter and how to fight a case.
• McHenry County Drug Lawyer -- Drug offenses can be separated into two broad categories: possession and trafficking. We represent clients charged with either -- or both -- of these crimes. Common legal strategies to fight these allegations include illegal search and seizure and lack of knowledge. On this page, we discuss the difference between various drug charges and average sentences.
• McHenry County Domestic Battery Lawyer -- Domestic battery is the most common domestic violence charge in McHenry County. But a charge doesn't have to mean a conviction. There are various defense that can be used to fight a battery charge and win.
• McHenry County DUI Evaluations -- DUI defendants are required by Illinois law to undergo an evaluation that assesses alcohol dependence or abuse. In McHenry County, there are several facilities where this test is offered. The evaluation is an important part of the criminal defense process, because its results often determine how severe of a sentence will be handed down by the judge.
• Winning a McHenry County Drug Case - If you've been charged with a drug crime in McHenry County, not all hope is lost. Over our years in the practice, we have learned through experience which defenses are effective in court to beat criminal charges. In this article, we'll discuss a couple of our tried-and-true strategies and delve into an alternative option for drug defendants, McHenry County Drug Court.
• McHenry County Order of Protection Lawyer -- You may have heard the more common term "restraining order," which is often used to refer to an order of protection. These orders prevent an alleged abuser from contacting or interacting with a victim. We represent clients on both sides of orders of protection.

What Questions Do You Have?

It can be overwhelming to think through how to approach dealing with the charges and accusations that come from being involved in a McHenry County criminal case. There are multiple criminal defense strategies to consider and a series of important decisions to make.

Every case is unique. Maybe the prosecutors are overcharging the case, pursuing a felony crime that should clearly be classified as a misdemeanor. Maybe there's no evidence. Maybe somebody is lying and you are being falsely accused. Maybe the police broke some rules and violated your rights, in which case, the charges should be dismissed. Maybe the case against you is strong but you want the best possible result.

At this point, you probably have more questions than answers. We're here to help. Give us a call at (312) 466-9466.