Criminal defense cases in Chicago typically resolve within 2 to 18 months, depending on case complexity, court schedules, and whether the matter proceeds to trial.
Chicago Court Backlog
The Cook County court system often manages a backlog ranging from 500 to 3,000 criminal cases, reflecting both new filings and ongoing matters.
Criminal Defense Chicago Filing Volume
Estimated monthly criminal case filings in Chicago range from 700 to 1,800, based on recent public court data.
Criminal Defense Case Outcomes
Resolution rates vary: approximately 25% of cases resolve before formal charges, 35% after filing but before trial, and about 10% result in favorable trial outcomes for defendants.
Practice Areas: Child Abuse, Criminal Defense , Drug Crimes, DUI/DWI, Internet , DUI & DWI
Sarah has been representing defendants in cases ranging from misdemeanors through reckless homicides for the past 18 years. She was an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law for 13 years where she taught Legal Writing, as well as helped run the Expungement clinic where students represented real clients and appeared at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse.. In 2020, she was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to the Forensic Science Task Force as the only private lawyer to examine the efficiency of Illinois crime labs. In 2016, she was accepted into the month-long Trial Lawyers College, and in 2019, was asked to join the faculty.. In 2014, Sarah became a Charter Member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association where she served on the Board of Directors. In 2018, she was appointed to the Justice Foundation, the charitable arm of the DUI Association, which helps fundraise and award scholarships to seminars to lawyers in need, and she still serves on the Foundation today.. Sarah was named Young Lawyer of the Year in 2014 by the Illinois State Bar Association. She is AV rated Preeminent lawyer by Martindale Hubble. In the past two years, she has appeared on Court TV and NBC 10 pm News to discuss current criminal cases, and been named a Top 50 Woman Lawyer by Super Lawyers, and a Top 100 Lawyer by Super Lawyers. She also served as mentor to another female lawyer with the Commission on Professionalism in 2016-2017.. Sarah frequently serves as a guest speaker at John Marshall Law School, and has authored a chapter in the IICLE handbook for DUIs, most recently in 2020. She is on the board of the IL Bar Foundation and served on the Lawyers Care Committee, helping lawyers and their families in need, especially during Covid where she participated in awarding 50 grants to struggling lawyers. She also served on the Gala Committee for the IBF, helping to plan and raise funds for the annual fundraiser.. Sarah has also attended countless seminars from science classes to learn blood testing in DUI and drug cases, to breathalyzer classes working hands on with the machines that IL uses to breahalyze drivers, to DNA classes with the expert from the Amanda Knox trial. She has gone through the same officer training as police officers with regard to administering Field Sobriety Tests, which is very useful in every DUI case when an officer testifies how those tests were performed on the client.. Sarah was a featured attorney on the radio show Money for Lunch. Listen here:. It is important that you hire a good lawyer as soon as you can after your arrest. In many cases, there are things that should be done before your first court date, lie file motions or request the preservation of evidence that might be destroyed within a few days. Give Sarah a call for a free consultation, and read her reviews below.
53 West Jackson Blvd. Suite 1263 , Chicago , Illinois 60604
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
For 20 years, Steven Fine has been practicing law. As a Chicago criminal defense attorney, he knows how to handle all types of charges, from sex crimes to theft offenses. Steven understands the complex nature of the criminal justice system and knows what to expect going into a courtroom. He gained experience as a former prosecutor, building his legal skills and crafting a unique knowledge that now helps him on the other side of the courtroom. Steven holds a 9.5 Superb rating on Avvo and has been included in the Super Lawyers® list. He has the experience, determination, reputation, and will to succeed in your case. Contact his firm at.
I have over 27 years experience on the defense side in dealing in all Cook County Criminal Trial Courts, Misdemeanor Trial Courts, Felony Branch Courts, Suburban Courts, Misdemeanor Branch Courts, Traffic Courts, Illinois Appellate Court, Illinois Supreme Court, Federal District Court, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.. I am licensed to practice in all Illinois State Courts and Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.. I successfully represented clients charged with first degree murder to narcotics possession to criminal trespass to speeding. I believe every client has constitutional rights that need to be proctected.. I provide reasonable fees and honest representation for all.. I realize that most clients and their family members have not dealt with the criminal justice system. This leaves them feeling scared and confused. I am familiar with the criminal justice system, the judges, and the prosecutors. I have an excellent working relationship with the courts, and I strive to offer the best representation possible to my clients.. In the wake of the recent immigration frenzy over the last few years, I have been growing an immigration practice. I have counseled many clients in obtaining legal status in the United States. I have helped U.S. citizens that marry foreign spouses, I have assisted in asylum related cases, change of status situations, work authorizations, and employment-based immigration and naturalization. I have appeared at the USCIS and U.S. Immigration Court.
900 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 5-W , Chicago , Illinois 60607
Practice Areas: Appellate , Banking & Finance, Consumer Fraud, Criminal Defense , Drug Crimes, DUI/DWI, Felonies, Juvenile , Traffic Violations, White Collar Crime, Criminal Defense
I am a graduate of the highly ranked University of Michigan Law School. My legal education laid the foundation for my career as a criminal defense attorney. I have specialized in criminal defense for over 35 years. In that time I have tried thousands of cases, both bench trials and juries, and litigated hundreds of motions. My experience includes Illinois state and federal courts.
Stephanie has had the opportunity to work with some of the most prominent defense attorneys in Cook County. Stephanie has built a reputation on personally and successfully representing individual clients on hundreds of criminal and traffic matters. She has tried cases ranging from DUIs all the way to first degree murder. Stephanie is in court almost everyday and has built a reputation of successfully defending her clients by providing aggressive and diligent legal representation.
The Prusak Law Group handles all criminal matters ranging from simple traffic, DUI, and misdemeanor cases to all felony cases including weapons charges, complex narcotics, armed robbery, attempted murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder.. Ms. Prusak has been a criminal defense attorney for over twenty years. Her early years were spent on the Homicide Task Force at the Public Defender's Office. There she defended over twenty-five murder cases, many resulting in verdicts of not guilty or guilty of a lesser crime. She has defended hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases, many of which have been dismissed in her client's favor at the pre-trial stage.. In addition to her work, Ms. Prusak has spent many years with the Illinois State Defender's Office training new attorneys statewide. She has also been an adjunct professor teaching trial advocacy at the College of Law at DePaul University. She has recently finished a two year term as a Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, during which she directed the Misdemeanor Clinic. There she taught third year law students, using real cases, how to defend a sucecssful case from start to finish.. Ms. Prusak is available for free legal consultation. She can be contacted twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, at her business phone number. Pricing and fees depend on the case. Her fees are reasonable and monthly payment plans are always available.
Disclaimer: This content is based on aggregated public information and estimated market trends. It is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
