Fighting Serious Weapon Charges in Chicago – Armed Habitual Criminal
In the State of Illinois the charge of Armed Habitual Criminal is a very serious charge and needs competent serious representation from an experienced Chicago criminal defense attorney. If you or a loved one has been charged with the crime of Armed Habitual Criminal it is important that you contact a defense lawyer in Chicago who handles criminal defense. Chicago gun lawyer Michael P. Schmiege is experienced in handling all types of weapons charges, felonies and misdemeanors.
Armed Habitual Criminal Defined
The criminal offense of Armed Habitual Criminal in Illinois is a weapons offense defined under 720 ILCS 5/24-1.7, which states that a person commits the offense of being an armed habitual criminal if he or she receives, sells, possesses, or transfers any firearm after having been convicted a total of 2 or more times of any combination of the following offenses: (1) a forcible felony as defined in Section 2-8 of this Code; (2) unlawful use of a weapon by a felon; aggravated unlawful use of a weapon; aggravated discharge of a firearm; vehicular hijacking; aggravated vehicular hijacking; aggravated battery of a child; intimidation; aggravated intimidation; gunrunning; home invasion; or aggravated battery with a firearm; or(3) any violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or the Cannabis Control Act that is punishable as a Class 3 felony or higher. (b) Sentence. Being an armed habitual criminal is a Class X felony. These are serious charges and an experienced Chicago Gun Lawyer is needed to protect your rights and freedom.
Chicago Criminal Lawyers Fighting for Your Freedom
As mentioned above, the charge of Armed Habitual Criminal in Illinois is a Class X Felony. What that means in terms of sentencing is that if you are convicted you are NOT eligible for probation and subject to 6-30 years in prison. Being a very serious offense it is important that you contact an experienced Chicago criminal defense laywer at the Law Offices of Michael P. Schmiege where we will investigate all aspects of the case and do everything to obtain the best outcome for you. We will use our experience to win your case or get your case dismissed or a not guilty verdict at trial. In the alternative, we will use our negotiating skills to convince the court and the prosecutor to come with an effective and constructive sentencing option that gives you the best chance of avoiding jail and fine. We have your best interest in mind when handling your case. Please be weary of lawyers looking to just plead you guilty. At the Law Offices of Michael P. Schmiege we are experienced trial lawyers and Chicago Criminal Defense Attorneys who will fight with you to the end to protect your rights and freedom.
Beating a Gun Case by Challenging Knowledge
The government needs to prove to the judge or jury certain elements of the offense in your case. One of the things that the government needs to prove is that you knowingly possessed the gun or weapon. Our attorney has been successful in challenging gun cases by arguing that you did not know about the gun. For instance, maybe the gun was found in the trunk of a car in a backpack that didn’t belong to you or the gun was found underneath the seat of a vehicle that you were driving but didn’t own. We will take your gun case to trial and challenge whether the government can prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt and prove to the judge or the jury that you knew the weapon was there.
Contact a Chicago criminal attorney from the Law Offices of Michael P. Schmiege at once if you have been charged with a crime.
