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People v. J.J.
Charge; First Degree Murder:
Facts: Chicago police and witnesses testified that J.J. was identified in a line-up as the person who shot and killed a rival gang member. Prosecutors and police introduced a signed confession allegedly obtained voluntarily from the accused.
Jury Verdict: NOT GUILTY –CHARGES DISMISSED
The defense was able to establish that the line-up identification was unreliable and that the police had physically coerced an unreliable confession from the defendant.
People v. J. G.
Charge: Armed Habitual Criminal
Facts: Police executed a Search Warrant which identified the defendant as a person who sold heroin from his home to a confidential informant. Police testified they encountered defendant walking out of his bedroom and recovered narcotics and a weapon a few feet away. Police claimed that the defendant confessed on 3 separate occasions that the weapon and narcotics were his.
Result: NOT GUILTY – CHARGES DISMISSED Defendant’s confession suppressed and found to be unreliable. Court ruled that the defense established that the police testimony was not to be believed and reasonable doubt was established into how, when, and where narcotics and weapon were recovered.
People v. F.C.
Charge: Obstruction of Justice:
Facts: Police claimed that the 18 year old defendant obstructed their investigation into locating her cousin, a 16 year old runaway, who left home to be with her 28 year old boyfriend. Defendant allegedly signed a confession admitting she lied to police on numerous occasions as to the 16 year olds whereabouts.
Result: FINDING NOT GUILTY – CHARGES DISMISSED Defense established police used questionable tactics that exploited an 18 year old girl conflicted by family loyalty to locate the runaway and then charged her unfairly. Court found that her conduct and statements were not sufficient to convict her of the charges.
People v. R.P.
Charge: Possession of a Controlled Substance/D.U.I.
Facts: Police responded to a call that the defendant had used drugs in a bathroom of Dunkin Donuts and was about to drive away from the scene while under the influence of narcotics. Police recovered heroin after searching her auto and she failed all video-taped field sobriety tests administered.
Result: ALL CHARGES DISMISSED. PRE-TRIAL MOTION TO QUASH ARREST AND SUPRESS EVIDENCE GRANTED The defense established that the police violated defendant’s 4th amendment rights by illegally detaining her without probable cause and conducted an illegal search of her auto. Any subsequent narcotics and video obtained were then excluded as evidence.
People v. A.W.
Charges: Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to deliver.
Facts: Police claimed that they observed defendant conduct a narcotics transaction and recovered a large amount of cocaine from his auto.
Result: ALL CHARGES DISMISSED. PRE-TRIAL MOTION TO QUASH ARREST AND SUPRESS EVIDENCE GRANTED The defense established via cross examination that the police version of what transpired was highly suspect and that they conducted an illegal search of the defendant’s auto.
People v. N.F.
Charges: Possession of a Controlled Substance/ Unlawful Sale of a Firearm
Facts: Police testified that a confidential informant contacted them and claimed defendant was attempting to sell him a handgun and had hidden narcotics in his auto. Police arrested defendant in the informants home and recovered a gun from under a cushion he was seated on. A subsequent search of his auto revealed a bag of cocaine.
Result: ALL CHARGES DISMISSED. PRE-TRIAL MOTION TO QUASH ARREST AND SUPRESS EVIDENCE GRANTED Defense established that the weapon was likely planted by the informant over nonpayment of a drug debt and that the police conducted an illegal inventory search of defendant’s vehicle rendering any narcotics recovered inadmissible as evidence.
People v. R.R.
Charge: Unlawful Use of Weapon
Facts: Police testified that they observed defendant walking down the street holding a handgun.
Result; ALL CHARGES DISMISSED. PRE-TRIAL MOTION TO QUASH ARREST AND SUPRESS EVIDENCE GRANTED. The Court ruled that the defense discredited the police version of events and found that police illegally detained and searched defendant in violation of the 4th amendment rendering the handgun recovered inadmissible as evidence.
People v. V.M.
Charge: Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to deliver
Facts: Police conducted a search of defendant’s home claiming they obtained a signed consent to search form from defendant’s parents. They then recovered a large amount of cocaine.
Result: ALL CHARGES DISMISSED The defense discredited the police by proving that the signed consent was illegally coerced and obtained AFTER police had already recovered the cocaine.
People v. G.M.
Charge: D.U.I. (SECOND D.U.I.)
Facts: Police stopped defendant for improper lane usage and arrested him for D.U.I. after he failed all video- taped field tests and admitted having 7 drinks earlier that evening.
Result: MOTION TO QUASH ARREST AND SUPPRESS EVIDENCE GRANTED. ALL CHARGES DISMISSED. Defense was able to prove that police did not have probable cause to pull over defendant’s vehicle rendering all their observations and defendant’s statements inadmissible as evidence.
People v. F.G.
Charges: D.U.I. (SECOND D.U.I.)
Facts: Police stopped defendant for speeding and charged him with D.U.I. after he failed all field sobriety tests and had a breathalyzer result well over the legal limit.
Result: MOTION TO QUASH ARREST AND SUPRESS EVIDENCE GRANTED – ALL CHARGES DISMISSED Defense was able to establish an illegal arrest by discrediting the officer’s administration of the field sobriety tests conducted on the defendant. Defendant’s breathalyzer results were then inadmissible as evidence.
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