- Assault and Battery/Aggravated Assault
- Assault and Battery cases hinge on the credibility of the victim. Usually, carefully prepared cross-examinations that attack the credibility of victim witnesses can uncover reasonable doubt and exonerate defendants. Often corrupt and overzealous police officers will use claims of aggravated assault to cover up and justify acts of police brutality. The only way to prevent such injustice is through the carefully planned and incisive examination of witnesses. Such examination uncovers inconsistencies and false statements that lead defendants to success.
- Murder
- Murder cases are decided by details. The key to finding success in a murder case is to identify the details the police have missed and demonstrate gaps in the evidence. While murder is one of the most serious crimes charged, it is also the source of many wrongful convictions. Defending murder charges requires relentless preparation and investigation. When every avenue of defense is examined, police misconduct, prosecutorial errors, and perjurious witness statements can be found and used to exonerate defendants and allow them to get on with their lives.
- Burglary
- The crime of burglary is a particularly serious offense because the courts consider it a crime of violence, even when no violent acts are committed. Burglary cases can be successfully challenged by raising questions about the identity of perpetrators. Most burglary crimes are committed at night or in the absence of witnesses who had a clear view at the time of the alleged offense. Careful questioning and persistence often demonstrates that identifications made by witnesses to burglaries are flawed by either mistake or anxiety. Attacking the credibility of eye witness identifications can lead to success in many burglary cases.
- Armed Robbery
- When weapons are involved the penalties for armed robbery are vastly increased. Much like burglary, armed robbery crimes hinge on the credibility of eye witnesses. In armed robbery cases the memory of eye witnesses is often flawed by fear and the need to believe that the right person has been caught. In most cases a skilled defense attorney can identify inconsistencies between eye witness accounts and demonstrate the inability of eye witnesses to accurately identify their attacker. Aggressive examination of these witnesses leads to success for defendants.
- Drug Offenses
- In the state system, drug offenses usually depend on the credibility of investigating officers. To successfully defend a drug case an attorney needs to identify all of the evidence that is missing. The absence of fingerprints, eyewitnesses, and the inability to establish a physical connection with the defendant and seized narcotics can often lead to a finding of not guilty. A successful defense attorney must be willing to use cross-examination as a means of exposing the dishonest and corrupt practices of narcotics officers. A failure to attack the credibility of dishonest officers often results in improper conviction.
- Theft/Embezzlement/Larceny
- Crimes of theft, embezzlement or larceny often involve highly detailed allegations about the manner in which money or goods are unlawfully obtained. Successful defense in these cases requires a keen focus on the allegations about the process that led to the supposed theft. Careful analysis and examination about these processes can often demonstrate that funds, goods or services were in fact lawfully obtained and the charges are inappropriate. Additionally, a detailed scrutiny regarding allegations about the amount stolen can often reveal that the government has exaggerated its case and inflated its numbers. Compelling jurors to see such disingenuous allegations often results in findings of reasonable doubt.
- Weapons Charges
- The most common weapons charges in the state system are Unlawful Use of a Weapon/Firearm (UUW) or an aggravated discharge of a firearm. Both charges involve serious penalties. Conviction for either of these charges can have a lasting impact on one's criminal history and ability to obtain desired employment as well as having ramifications on future Federal criminal charges. Many cases involve weapons that are improperly seized by the police department. Carefully crafted motions to suppress due to unconstitional searches can often result in dismissal.
- Juvenile Offenses
- There are a wide range of juvenile offense, which can have a serious impact on the ability of young people to succeed in the future. Juvenile offenses must be defended just as aggressively as any adult offense. Many attorneys tell juveniles that guilty pleas will not hurt them because it is "only a juvenile offense". This advice, however, is usually wrong. Juvenile convictions can and do seriously inhibit the ability of juveniles to gain admission to universities and obtain desired jobs. Additionally, juvenile offenses can impact one's criminal history. Those convicted of these offenses can face far more serious penalties if accused of a crime as adults.
- Sex Crimes
- The key to defending cases involving alleged sexual misconduct is to focus on physical evidence. The use of qualified DNA experts often leads to the discovery that individuals have been improperly charged. Furthermore, allegations of sexual misconduct often result from domestic disputes. A careful and detailed cross examination of alleged victims often demonstrates the false nature of the allegations and the ultimate innocence of the defendant.
- Extortion
- Public corruption cases often involve charges of extortion. When defending extortion cases it is vital to focus on the paper trails that ultimately lead to the charges. Careful review of this evidence can usually uncover gaps and flaws in the state's evidence. These flaws create reasonable doubt and can lead to findings of not guilty.
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T h e L a w O f f i c e s o f
BEAU B. BRINDLEY
Attorneys & Counselors at Law
The Monadnock Building
53 West Jackson Boulevard -- Suite 1605
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 312.765.8878
Fax: 312.276.8040
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