Top Criminal Defense Lawyers in CHICAGO | 196 available
196 Criminal Defense lawyers are available in CHICAGO, Illinois, including Law Offices Of Joseph Younes, Law Offices of Mitch Furman, Law Offices of Rajeev K Bajaj, and Law Offices of Reem Odeh. These lawyers are rated between 4.2/5 to 4.6/5 and 70% provide free consultation.
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: Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, Workers Compensation
Yelp Review
“Joseph is an amazing, consistent really awesome attorney!! Thank you for all your help and prayers and getting us through a terrible court case. The case...”
Attorney Mellisa Smejkal is a leading criminal defense lawyer based in Chicago. She has been practicing law since 1998 and opened her current law firm in 2005. The firm largely serves clients in Cook County and the surrounding areas. Its specialty areas include DUI cases, traffic offenses and a nig range of criminal offenses (assault and battery, homicides, prostitution, sexual assault, murder, gun charges and theft among others). Attorney Melissa Smejkal is also good in getting her clients’ criminal history expunged.
Avvo Review
“feel completely supported throughout the entire process. Beyond her listening skills, Melissa's expe”
“I highly endorse Mrs. Smejkal. Very knowledgeable and caring attorney who produces great results in representing clients! I want all people with legal problems to contact her first…”
“Matthew is a very good attorney.He has proven to me that justice is not always blind.He is a very hard working and ethical man.Matthew takes pride in ...”
A representative of the common man and woman to enforce your legal rights.. Matthew Katz is someone who for years has been committed to fighting for the rights of poor and minority communities, and now for his clients. Since 1989, he has been an organizer and participant in various projects and forms of social activism to improve the human condition and work to ensure that the civil rights to which we are all entitled are protected. Here, we delineate the various activities and accomplishments of his student, political and professional life.
Avvo Review
“ed up with NOTHING!!!! I PERSONALLY do not recommend this attorney or his firm. Save your money”
Practice Areas: Divorce & Family, Criminal Defense, DUI
Yelp Review
“Great lawyer! Demijan went out of his way to help me even when things weren't going well. He's been helping me on my custody case for years and I always...”
“I can't say enough good things about Matthew & Drnovsek Law. From the very beginning, their team was on top of everything, responsive, organized, and always one step ahead. I was d…”
Martin Quintana is the founder and the managing partner of Quintana Law Group, LLC based in Chicago and Downers Grove. He focuses his practice on state and federal criminal defense along with personal injury, workers’ compensation, and medical malpractice.. Prior to forming Quintana Law Group, LLC he was a partner at a small boutique firm that focused on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and medical malpractice. His strong presence as a highly successful trial lawyer and his prominence throughout Chicago has provided him the opportunity to develop a large and widerange of a client base which affords him the ability service a vast amount of clients.. Martin’s passion for the law began when he was only 21 years of age. At that time Martin began an internship with a prominent Chicago lawyer that lasted throughout his college and law school career and culminated with several years of invaluable service as a young lawyer with the same attorney. He has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict and has also written briefs for and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court. Martin’s broad range of legal knowledge affords him the ability to represent clients in a vast array of legal disciplines.. Martin received his law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan with a concentration in litigation. He received his Bachelor in Science degree from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois where he double majored in Criminal Justice and Political Science.. Martin’s litigation experience and his ability to be fluent in Spanish has afforded him the opportunity to sit on multiple boards and lead a variety of Legal Clinics throughout Chicago such as in Rogers Park through Block Club Federation and in Little Village through Universidad Popular and through Little Village Community Council.
Avvo Review
“would be difficult seeing how lawyers tend to use big words sometimes. Martine helped me through eve”
Mark Almanza earned his law degree from The University of Chicago Law School. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Mr. Almanza also proudly served in the United States Air Force. The military service taught him the value of discipline, unshakeable integrity, and excellence in all his work that he upholds today.
Avvo Review
“icing and what he could achieve. We aren't rich, so we didn't know if we could afford the best defe”
I have 20 years of experience in Criminal Defense, DUI/Traffic law, civil litigation and Immigration Law. I am a tireless litigator with experience in pre-trial, jury and bench trials, and post-trial litigation. I have tried everything from First Degree Murders, controlled substance cases, criminal sexual assaults, gun cases, armed robberies to DUIs and license reinstatement administrative matters. I have appeared in federal cases and state criminal cases on a pro hac vice basis in Indiana, Texas, Iowa and various counties around Illinois. I have supervised attorneys for over 10 years in the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender in felony cases, traffic cases, post-trial and appeals, and child protection cases. I have clerked in the Executive Office for Immigration Review and appeared in removal cases Chicago. I am an excellent legal writer and researcher and have had cases I tried overturned on appeal due to my trial work. I have trained attorneys in issues such as collateral consequences for defendant's facing criminal cases and written and edited IICLE articles on pre-trial issues, guilty pleas and defenses.. Facing criminal charges or traffic tickets can be stresssful situations for those involved. As an attorney, my main job is to advocate for my client as forcefully and effectively as possible in whatever legal challenges that the client faces. We have a Constitution and system of justice that can seem overwhelming to ordinary citizens. Therefore, I treat every case with the utmost care it deserves and am always available to answer clients' questions or concerns. I am very experienced, knowledgeable and committed to my clients. As such, I am proud of my reputation for outstanding client care and satisfaction.
Lawyers.com Review
“Marcos is a very experienced attorney who goes the extra mile to provide the very best legal representation for all his clients in both traffic and criminal matters. I strongly end…”
I am a litigator with substantial trial experience in a variety of complex matters. My focus is on work related injuries, personal injury and criminal defense. I also have substantial experience handling business litigation and transactional work incuding representing clients in both residential and commerical real estate deals and representing clients in the purchase and sale of their business.
Avvo Review
“Marc is an excellent lawyer, I highly recommend him. He is a very professional attorney,he is there”
“You be hard pressed to find another personal injury lawyer as skilled as Marc! He has extensive experience in these types of matters and his firm is top-rate in the industry.”
“When called I spoke with an attorney who told me most people/clients former and present have mental issues, and an assistant I spoke with didn’t know the difference between the res…”
“Steven Hunter is an excellent criminal defense attorney, he is just simply amazing. My eighteen year old son was charged with a misdeanor and 3 felony...”
“Steven R. Hunter represented me on a class 3 felony forgery charge, and exceeded my expectations by far! This Lawyer knows his stuff and is an expert in his profession. I am so gla…”
“Donna is a great lawyer. She represented a creep guy Harvey however her lawyer skills were superior. In this case Harvy got convicted with little to no...”
“I’m so thankful for lawyers at this firm they are very respectful concerning lawyers honest kind I’m so happy to have them that’s to the whole staff clerk and legal time wish all y…”
“Needed a lawyer for my son. He was facing some serious jail time. Had met with other lawyers but was not sold on any of them they seemed eager to have my...”
Facing the reality of a criminal prosecution is frightening. Having the right lawyer makes all the difference. Simply put, Michael Cheronis is the right lawyer. As a former Chicago felony prosecutor and a seasoned defense attorney, Mr. Cheronis possesses the expertise and the experience necessary to provide exceptional counsel and the best possible results.. Communication is key throughout the criminal process. Keeping his clients informed of everything – from pre-trial negotiation with prosecutors through trial strategies and techniques – is the benchmark of Mr. Cheronis’ defense strategies. No one knows what happened, or didn’t happen, better than the accused client.. Using aggressive, effective pre-trial and trial strategies, Mr. Cheronis has successfully defended thousands of Illinois citizens charged with crimes. He represents clients charged with drug offenses, DUI, violent crimes, sex crimes, and white collar crimes. From the initiation of a criminal investigation through trial and sometimes beyond, Mr. Cheronis will personally handle each and every aspect of your matter.. Mr. Cheronis will work for and with you to establish a solid defense and protect your rights. Only with a creative and determined attorney like Mr. Cheronis can you be certain that your rights will be protected. He has obtained successful verdicts for his clients in hundreds of cases throughout Chicago and Cook County.
Avvo Review
“onfident in his abilities. He did not let me down. Mike’s got that dog in him. His cross-examin”
“My experience with the Law Offices of Mitch Furman was outstanding from start to finish. As a repeat offender with seven prior charges tied to a DUI, I was facing the possibility o…”
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.
