Top Personal Injury Lawyers Near Me in East Peoria Area

As the managing member of Schierer & Ritchie, I represent and defend many good people every single day who are facing extremely tough criminal charges. I began my career as a criminal defense attorney with the public defender's office and then started a criminal defense practice of my own. After years of this, I made the decision to fulfill a life-long dream and spend a term serving my country in the United States Navy Jag Corps. There, I was assigned the job of criminal prosecutor. While I never thought I'd find myself in this role, I learned many invaluable lessons during my time on the other side. I carried these lessons with me back into private practice when I returned to where I belong...zealously defending the little guy. Now, I once again fight to obtain fair results for my clients.. After years of working with hundreds of clients, I have defined my core values as these: forming personal and caring relationships with my clients, advocating aggressively and zealously for my clients, and honing my legal skills through continued and regular professional training and education to better serve my clients.. I place an absolute premium on client communication and client trust. Each and every case we handle is unique. Each and every client is an individual deserving of individual attention. I personally meet with every single client, and personally investigate each and every situation. With me as your attorney, you will never feel like you are just one of the herd. I will treat you as a good person in a difficult situation, not a dollar sign and otherwise a nuisance. I will care about your case, I will respect you as a human being, I will have compassion for your situation, and I will return all communications promptly.. I advocate aggressively. I know the law. I know when cases should be settled. I know when jury trials are warranted. I know when we are getting a good deal and a bad deal from the prosecutor on a case. I form strong relationships with judges and courtroom staff, and you will be taken care of accordingly.. Finally, I believe that, as long as I live, I am a work in progress. I believe that I owe my clients the duty of continually enriching my legal knowledge and experience. Because of this, I attend trainings regularly to enrich both my legal knowledge and my courtroom skill. I will use my updated knowledge and skill to help you through your case.. Before all this began, I earned a B.S. in Accountancy from the top accountancy school in the nation at the time, the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Thereafter I earned a J.D. from one of the top 25 best law schools in the nation, Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. I have been honored to join the bars of the States of Illinois, Missouri and New York. As a result, I am uniquely qualified to practice in all state courts in these states and in several federal courts throughout the states.. I work in both the trial and the appellate venues of practice. I have tried numerous misdemeanor and felony cases before a jury and have even had the pleasure of participating in the defense of a criminal case that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Illinois.. When not working or exploring my community, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, watching my beloved Fighting Illini, soaking in the sights at Wrigley Field, traveling, and exploring local cuisine.

As a partner at Schierer & Ritchie, LLC, I am a caring and zealous advocate. I share the value system of my partner and am committed to forming personal and caring relationships with my clients, advocating aggressively and zealously for my clients, and honing my legal skills through continued and regular professional training and education to better serve my clients.. Because the consequences can be so long lasting and drastic, when you have been accused of a crime, you don't need a good attorney. You need a great attorney.. More than anything else, I believe a great attorney views and gets to know her client as a person. She learns her client's life story and gains an understanding of the background that led to her client's current circumstance. As a person accused of a crime, you deserve to know that your representative understands you as an individual. I make sure this happens. I speak with you frequently, I make sure you understand each step of the process, and I respond to all of your inquiries in a timely fashion. And, I work hard to make sure that the prosecutor and the judge know you not just as a person accused of a crime, but as a person with a history, a family, and a life that really matters.. While our American theme is "innocent until proven guilty," it often seems this phrase should be the other way around. Make no mistake, when you have been accused of a crime, the cards are stacked against you. Because of this, you need an attorney who really knows how to aggressively represent you. I have spent more time litigating in a courtroom than most attorneys. I enjoy the advocacy of courtroom litigation. Most importantly, I listen intently to what you have to say. With me as your attorney, you will never feel there is a great argument that should have been made but wasn't. I am also an excellent collaborator. Sometimes what you need as a person who has been accused of a crime is simply the assurance that you are getting the best deal possible given your situation. I work well with all parties to make sure you are not getting a raw deal. If there is room for negotiation out there, I will find it and fit you in.. Finally, like Attorney Schierer, I work hard to fine tune my legal knowledge and my legal skills. With me as your attorney you can be assured I will be updated on the law and trained in the most recent courtroom techniques. As your attorney, I owe you the duty of competency. I strive to provide you with excellency.. Before all this began, I earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Thereafter I went on full scholarship and earned a J.D. summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University. Since then, I have been honored to join the bars of the States of Illinois, Missouri and California. As a result, I am uniquely qualified to practice in all state courts in these states and in several federal courts throughout the states.. I work in both the trial and the appellate venues of practice. I have worked on numerous misdemeanor and felony cases and have even had the pleasure of successfully arguing a criminal defense case before the Illinois Supreme Court at the age of 28.. When not working or volunteering in the community, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, exploring local cuisine, hiking the wilderness, and reading a great book.