Top Criminal Defense Lawyers in CHICAGO | 196 available

196 Criminal Defense lawyers are available in CHICAGO, Illinois, including Michael Chomiak, Michael D. Monico, Michael Falconer, and Michael Finn. These lawyers are rated between 4.3/5 to 4.7/5 and 70% provide free consultation.

Criminal Defense Case Statistics Overview

Criminal Defense Case Timeline

Min2Max18

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

Low500Medium1500High3000

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

Min700Max1800

Estimated monthly criminal case filings in Chicago range from 700 to 1,800, based on recent public court data.

Criminal Defense Case Outcomes

Pre-litigation25Post-filing35Trial10

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.

Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Michael Chomiak

1005 N. Western Ave , Chicago , Illinois 60622
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Michael Chomiak has been practicing criminal defense law for over 10 years. Since leaving the State's Attorney's Office in 2003, he has defended countless clients throughout the Illinois in both State and Federal Court.
Avvo Review
“Very knowledgeable and confident in courtroom. I was very pleased with the outcome of my case. He”
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Lawyers.com Review
“I endorse this lawyer.”
Avvo Rating: Rated 2.3 out of 5

Michael D. Monico

Firm: Monico, Pavich and Spevack
20 South Clark Street   700  6060 , Chicago , Illinois 60603
Practice Areas: Appellate ,Criminal Defense
Avvo Review
“I thought Mr. Monico was very self serving and at times seemed distracted and somewhat disorganized. I had to repeat facts time and again. He always...”
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Google Review
“Mike is an impeccable attorney AND basically quickly becomes like a family member. Don’t hesitate to retain him. You’ll be happy you did.”
— B HOUSE
Avvo Rating: Rated 3.3 out of 5

Peter Y. Qiu

Firm: Law Offices of Peter Y. Qiu
518 W 26th Street , Chicago , Illinois 60616
Practice Areas: Bankruptcy,Business ,Civil ,Copyrights,Corporate ,Criminal Defense ,Estate Planning,Family ,Immigration & Naturalization ,Personal Injury,Probate ,Real Estate ,Trusts,Wills,Workers Compensation
Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Peter Ciesielski

Firm: Ciesielski, Soukaras, and Crozier Law, LLC
1115 N. Ashland Ave. , Chicago , Illinois 60622
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Peter M. Ciesielski is a Founding and Managing Partner at Ciesielski, Soukaras, & Crozier Law, LLC, as well as Attorney and Managing Partner of Just Results Law Group in Chicago. He and his firms practice Personal Injury, Criminal Defense (all felony levels, including DUI and traffic), Driver's License Reinstatement, and Real Estate Closings. With unparallelled expertise and unwavering commitment to each case, Peter Ciesielski is well-versed in helping his clients retain their rights and freedom.. Mr. Ciesielski has previously served multiple prestigious judicial clerking positions before joining Hofeld and Schaffner (a leading Plaintiff's Personal Injury Firm in Chicago) to fine-tune and focus his legal career on Personal Injury cases. With his endless experience and academically exceptional background, Attorney Ciesielski is perfectly positioned to fight for his clients in a wide range of cases.
Avvo Review
“significant value and saved my clients at all levels of the criminal process. Cannot recommend him”
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Lawyers.com Review
“I have worked with Peter on a number of cases and respect his work so highly that I refer all of my criminal cases to him. He is knowledgeable, professional, and gets the job done.”
Yelp Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Percy D Mitchell Attorney at Law

Firm: Percy D Mitchell Attorney at Law
123 W. Madison , Chicago , Illinois 60602
Practice Areas: Real Estate, Divorce & Family, Criminal Defense
Yelp Review
“It is with great pleasure I write this review. Mr. Percy Mitchell delivered exactly what I needed. His knowledge , professionalism and dedication to...”
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Avvo Rating: Rated 4.8 out of 5

Paul Burnson

Firm: Chicago Trusted Attorneys
444 W Lake St Ste 1700 , Chicago , Illinois 60606
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Paul Burnson is a defense attorney with Chicago Trusted Attorneys. Paul attended Illinois State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a focus on Constitutional Law. Immediately after graduating from Illinois State, Paul began law school at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois.. At John Marshall, Paul was a member of the International Human Rights Clinic, where he and his fellow students counseled numerous clients through the asylum process. In addition, Paul was a member of the Restorative Justice program, where he spent a semester counseling and teaching Restorative Justice practices to teachers and students at Hamline Elementary School. Paul also worked as a law clerk for David M. Smith Attorney at Law, P.C. throughout law school and gained valuable insight and skills that prepared him for practice.. After graduating from John Marshall, Paul was hired as an Associate Attorney with Chicago Trusted Attorneys, where he specializes in traffic violation, aggravated speeding citation, suspended and revoked drivers license, DUI, misdemeanor, and felony matters.. Paul has successfully represented clients with a litany of charges, spanning from simple traffic tickets to Class X Felony drug cases resulting in complete dismissal of charges. Clients with specialty licenses such as a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) trust Paul to protect their driving record so they can continue to financially provide for their families. Paul vigorously defends his clients and leaves no stone unturned. He has won numerous cases in which his client’s livelihood was on the line and a positive result seemed impossible.
Avvo Review
“Title says it all. Man charges 1K a month and doesn't even follow up on his own written commitments”
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Lawyers.com Review
“Paul Michael Burnson is an incredible attorney. He is diligent in his review of every case and works incredibly hard to ensure that his clients get the best legal representation po…”
Avvo Rating: Rated 3.7 out of 5

Patrick J. Cotter

1200   120 South Riverside Plaza , Chicago , Illinois 60606
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Yelp Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

OMara Gleason & OCallaghan

Firm: O'Mara, Gleason, & O'Callaghan
230 W Monroe St , Chicago , Illinois 60606
Practice Areas: General Litigation, Personal Injury, Criminal Defense
Yelp Review
“If you need a lawyer, it's not always a great situation. Let me assure you that that was the case for me. However, working with this firm made what was a...”
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Yelp Rating: Rated 3.5 out of 5

North Legal Services

Firm: North Legal Services
2342 Wn Ave , Chicago , Illinois 60647
Practice Areas: Adult Education, Bankruptcy, Criminal Defense, Immigration,
Yelp Review
“There no need for me to go into the details of my personal financial misfortunes. But it suffices to say that I was in deep deep trouble. The economy took...”
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Yelp Rating: Rated 3.5 out of 5

Motta & Motta LLC

Firm: Motta & Motta LLC
161 N Clark St , Chicago , Illinois 60601
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, General Litigation, Divorce & Family
Yelp Review
“Alison Motta is exactly the type of lawyer you want to have in your corner -- tough, creative, resourceful, knowledgeable and relentlessly hard working. She...”
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Google Review
“Bob & Alison are the best defense attorneys in Chicago. Very professional, committed, and fight hard for clients.”
— Alex C
Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Morris Anyah

Firm: Law Office of Morris A. Anyah, LLC.
53 W Jackson Blvd #1260 , Chicago , Illinois 60604
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Morris A. Anyah is a top criminal defense and criminal appeals attorney in Chicago. He is a former Cook County prosecutor and war crimes attorney at The Hague. He is now one of the pre-eminent, “go to” lawyers when people search for a top-notch criminal defense or criminal appeals attorney in Chicago. He recently obtained an acquittal for a defendant charged with six counts of first degree murder, after a jury trial before the Circuit Court of Cook County, and he represented former Liberian president Charles Taylor at his war crimes trial in The Hague. Attorney Anyah is a trial lawyer with a reputation for excellence and he brings a wealth of experience (over 20 years) and skill to the cases that he handles. He handles cases in state and Federal court in Chicago and elsewhere, and he founded his law firm with the objective of providing the highest quality of legal representation to persons charged with serious crimes, those appealing unfair and wrongful convictions, and those who have sustained injury due to abuse of power, or the negligence, recklessness, or willfulness of others. As a plaintiff’s personal injury and civil rights attorney in Chicago, he has filed suits and won significant monetary damages for his clients over several years of practice. He is admitted to the bars of several U.S. Federal and state court jurisdictions, including in Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. Call Attorney Anyah now at.
Avvo Review
“any detailed points within the case, which made the States Attorneys case unravel, time and time aga”
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Lawyers.com Review
“I am writing to recommend Mr. Anyah in criminal defense and DUI representation. As a former colleague at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, I've had the pleasure of working…”
Yelp Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Mitchell S Sexner & Associates

Firm: Mitchell S Sexner & Associates
2126 W Van Buren St , Chicago , Illinois 60612
Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, DUI
Yelp Review
“Best experience of my life !!!! My license was suspended and I was in all sorts of trouble. The law office I called before I called them said there was...”
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Google Review
“Julio was a very professional lawyer. He represented my son Robert and won the case on the first time representing Robert. I like his approach and style. He is a very talented lawy…”
— Brenda Mitchell
Yelp Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Miranda Law Office

Firm: Miranda Law Office
3535 N Pulaski Rd , Chicago , Illinois 60641
Practice Areas: DUI, Criminal Defense
Yelp Review
“I highly recommend Miranda Law offices. I had so many questions about my case and they helped me all the way through, answered every question I had and...”
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Google Review
“I had the privilege of having Miguel Miranda as my attorney, and I can’t recommend him enough!!! From start to finish, he carried himself with the highest level of professionalism …”
— Itzen D
Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Michael Orescanin

Firm: Illinois Advocates, LLC
77 W. Washington St. , Chicago , Illinois 60602
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Avvo Review
“I truly can't explain how much a help Mike was. He took the incentive to explain everything as well”
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Lawyers.com Review
“I endorse this lawyer. I have known Mr. Orescanin for over 4 years. He continuously strives to employ tactics that win cases for his clients. He is genuinely a nice person too, whi…”
Yelp Rating: Rated 4.3 out of 5

Michael J. Petro - Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney

Firm: Michael J. Petro - Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney
20 N Clark St , Chicago , Illinois 60602
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Yelp Review
“He is a super smart attorney and had my case dismissed with no fees within 10 minutes. He knew they had nothing to charge me with or hold me. I am so glad...”
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Google Review
“My husband had the most complicated X felony case ever. We called a lot of attorneys but no one was able to help us. Michael Petro was the only one who agreed on to work on that ca…”
— Ruta Vit
Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Michael Gruszeczki

Firm: Gruszeczki & Smith Law, LLP
33 N. Dearborn , Chicago , Illinois 60602
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
I've been a lifelong resident of Cook County, born and raised on the northwest side of the city. After graduating from law school, I worked as a prosecutor in Cook County.  I've taken what I've learned there to represent my clients vigorously. I pride myself in helping my clients get results.
Avvo Review
“on the same page as him and gives honest and professional advice. If you need help with criminal d”
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Lawyers.com Review
“Mike is an incredible trial lawyer who has an impressive knowledge of the law. I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking out a criminal defense attorney.”
Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Michael Finn

53 W Jackson Boulevard   525  60 , Chicago , Illinois 60604
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Avvo Review
“Mr. Finn was very good, his office answer question quickly, 2 years ago he took care of my shoplift case and handled my expungement within 1 year!”
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Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Michael Falconer

Firm: Law Office of Michael J. Falconer
35 E Wacker Dr , Chicago , Illinois 60601
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense , Drug Crimes, Internet , Securities , White Collar Crime, Criminal Defense
Lawyers.com Review
“There is a well-known true story about Michael Falconer. When he was a young prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's office he discovered evidence suggesting that two men …”
Avvo Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

Phillip Haddad

Firm: Phil Haddad Law
5113 S Harper Ave #2c , Chicago , Illinois 60615
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense
Avvo Review
“Got 2 separate charges dismissed, F and OWI. 2 separate lawyering techniques. Thanks Phil! Highly re”
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Lawyers.com Review
“A top trier criminal defense attorney. If you want the best chances of staying out of jail, call him. I endorse this lawyer”
Yelp Rating: Rated 5.0 out of 5

O-Meara Law

Firm: O'Meara Law
53 W Jackson Blvd , Chicago , Illinois 60604
Practice Areas: DUI, Criminal Defense
Yelp Review
“Massive thanks got o Attorney Michael O'Maera! I had a case that was denied twice due to ineffective guidance and shady dealings. After being put in...”
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Google Review
“Michael is an excellent attorney. He brings his expertise, knowledge and exceptional care for his clients. I’m super happy with his services. Always on top of things easy to reach …”
— Sara M

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.