Chicago, Illinois Criminal Defense Lawyer

Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd.

20280 Governors Hwy. Suite 302 Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461 USA

 (708) 481-4800 or (800) 582-5297
 (708) 481-4848

www.waaltd.com
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Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

The Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. has represented criminal defendants in the state and federal district courts of Illinois, Indiana and other states since 1975. The focus of our practice is criminal defense, and we take great pride in the service we provide to our clients. Our clients return to the firm and refer their family and friends because of the care and commitment we provide in every case. Our results in DUI and criminal cases speak for themselves.

Our criminal defense lawyers use a team approach. This means you will receive the benefits of having at least two experienced criminal defense lawyers on your case. We charge no additional fees for using the team approach. We do it simply because we want to provide you the best possible defense.

Our criminal defense lawyers will help you through every stage of the case from investigation through trial. Our level of personal attention and service is unparalleled. Our lawyers are accessible for emergencies twenty-four hours a day. We are committed to providing our clients with complete and understandable information about the law and their cases so they know their options and can make informed decisions.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Federal Crimes; Mortgage, Stock, Loan, Mail, Accounting, Medicare, Elder, & Tax Fraud; Forgery; Check Kiting; Official Misconduct; Obstruction of Justice; Political Corruption; Larceny; Conspiracy; Insider Trading; False Disclosures; Breaches of Fiduciary Duty; Sexual Assault; Internet Sex Crimes; Solicitation of a Minor; Indecent Exposure; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender; Pandering; Human Trafficking; Piracy; Copyright Infringement; Drug Trafficking; Aggravated Assault; Violent Crimes; Kidnapping; Probation Violation; Driving Under a Suspended or Revoked License.

Practice Areas Description

The Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. Criminal Attorney Defense Team has successfully represented persons charged with the following offenses in State and Federal Courts:

- Criminal Defense

At The Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd., you will find aggressive and effective criminal defense lawyers you can trust to protect your interests. With more than 34 years of defense experience, we know criminal law inside out. Put our proven experience to work protecting your rights and your freedom. Our job is simply to do the work necessary to provide you the most effective defense possible. That is the bottom line. More often than not, it works out.

* Felony and Misdemeanor

When someone is charged with a misdemeanor, the maximum penalty is 364 days in jail. When someone is charged with a felony the minimum prison time is one year or more in prison. Different classes of misdemeanors and felonies have different minimum and maximum sentences. A criminal conviction, whether for felony or misdemeanor, is a very serious matter. Possible ramifications of a felony conviction include: Loss of your right to vote; Loss of your right to possess a firearm; Loss of your right to travel outside a specific geographical area; Public access to your felony conviction, which could hamper your future employment.

* Federal Crimes

If you are convicted of a federal crime, it's usually not a matter of if you're going to jail, but for how long. The federal government doesn't choose to charge in cases that are low level or weak. Federal prosecutors tend to not bring charges, rather than charge someone with a probational offense. Most federal criminal law prosecutions have traditionally been concerned with complicated financial transactions that cross state lines or organized crime. Today, many types of charges such as fraud, identity theft, drugs, as well as Internet crimes dealing with sex and child pornography are being charged as federal offenses.

* White Collar Crimes

Early intervention from an experienced and fast-acting lawyer can be the best defense against charges of white collar crimes. If you have been charged with white collar criminal activity, or you are concerned about an investigation within your company, the Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. can help. Raymond Wigell, our firm's founder, has a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in Tax Law. His training and decades of experience is particularly important when he defends clients accused of white collar crimes, complex business crimes and financial crimes. Additionally, we work with forensic accounting experts to analyze financial data. This data often provides the key to our defense strategy.

* Embezzlement

Embezzlement is a serious charge, punishable by time in jail and criminal restitution. Embezzlement charges can be brought against employees in virtually any kind of occupation. The lawyers from Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. provide experienced criminal defense to clients ranging from convenience store clerks and restaurant workers to high level executives and bankers. No matter what your occupation may be, you can count on our firm to vigorously represent your rights.

* Fraud

The Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. defends individuals who are facing a variety of criminal fraud charges. Our clients include brokers and other fiduciaries in the mortgage, tax and securities industries. For most clients, fraud allegations threaten damage to their personal and professional lives. Mr. Wigell knows how to present complex financial data and confront such charges as: Stock fraud; Loan fraud; Mortgage fraud; Tax fraud; Mail fraud; Forgery; Bribery; Conspiracy. Allegations of fraud can be based on activities such as insider trading, false disclosures and breaches of fiduciary duty. Most fraudulent activity is prosecuted in federal court.

* Sex Crimes

Accusation of sexual assault stirs up strong emotions. The public frenzy to punish someone often leads to prosecution based on questionable evidence. Unfortunately, even weak evidence can lead to a conviction and to the very serious penalties imposed for sex crimes, such as mandatory prison sentences and lifetime registration as a sex offender. Sex crimes cases that our defense lawyers have handled include: Sexual assault, rape, date rape; Criminal sexual conduct, sexual abuse and - molestation; Aggravated and Predatory sex offenses; Human trafficking; Internet sex offenses; Possession and distribution of child pornography; Solicitation of a minor; Prostitution and solicitation; Indecent exposure; Failure to register as a sex offender.

* Child Pornography

Child pornography charges our defense team has handled include: Possession of child pornography on computer hard drive; Production of child porn for the Internet; Transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity; Interstate sexual exploitation of a child; Distribution of child porn over the Internet (Kiddy porn Website or Lolita Website); Sexual exploitation of minors; Solicitation of a minor or child enticement; Human trafficking. As defense attorneys, we are nonjudgmental. The only things we care about are you and your rights under the law. We work with internationally recognized computer experts, including former FBI computer experts, as we build an effective defense in even the most challenging child pornography case.

* Solicitation of a Minor

In cases of Internet solicitation and online enticement, law enforcement has all the resources and you've got nothing....until you hire a defense attorney to level the playing field. If you are under investigation or have been charged with solicitation, get the most experienced attorneys and access the best computer experts you can. With more than 30 years of experience providing powerful defense services to people charged with sex crimes, we know the government's methods. If we can't beat their case, we can weaken it so your negotiating posture is stronger. As defense attorneys, we are nonjudgmental. The only things we care about are you and your rights under the law.

* Internet Crimes

Many defendants in Internet crime cases don't realize the serious legal consequences of their actions. What your teenaged son may consider a prank "harmlessly hacking into another computer or file sharing” could trigger a criminal investigation. What you may consider a perfectly legal, private matter "looking at pornographic images" could result in criminal charges of child pornography. Congress has set aside millions of dollars specifically to investigate and prosecute Internet crimes. For federal Internet crimes, the penalty can be as much as ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or a combination of prison time and a fine. A felony conviction can ruin your prospects for future employment.

* Internet Sex Crimes

The U.S. Department of Justice and state and local law enforcement agencies have put tremendous resources into investigating Internet sex crimes. They often share information and work together to investigate and even to entrap computer users. Only drug trafficking and terrorism are investigated as zealously as Internet sex crimes. And no criminal charge can ruin your life more quickly than sex charges like child porn, child rape or solicitation of a minor. Don't fall victim to the public hysteria about pornography. If you are under investigation or have been charged with an Internet sex crime, get prompt and powerful defense.

* Drug Charges

Drug charges are very serious. There are very few misdemeanor drug charges, most involving very small amounts of marijuana. Almost all other drug charges are felony offenses. Conviction of a felony means the offender will spend at least a year in jail if found guilty, and often much longer. A felony conviction can also ruin your prospects for future employment. The Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. aggressively defends these cases by filing motions with the Court asking to have the drugs suppressed or excluded from trial. When the judge grants our motion, the prosecutor cannot go forward with the case, and has no choice but to dismiss the charges.

* Drug Trafficking

Conviction of drug trafficking or distribution carries a minimum mandatory sentence and judges have no leeway in sentencing so it's important to avoid a conviction. Most drug charges are not won or lost on the facts but on whether law enforcement operated within constitutional boundaries when they stopped someone, searched a property or person (Were they within the bounds of their warrant?), or seized property. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd. are constitutional scholars so we thoroughly investigate these constitutional issues.

* Weapons and Gun Law

Two types of people tend to get charged with weapons crimes: those who use guns to commit crimes and legitimate gun owners who are simply carrying a gun improperly. When it comes to penalties, however, the courts make little distinction. Unlawful use of a weapon (UUW) is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine. You could be charged with unlawful use of a weapon for carrying a concealed weapon or for carrying a gun improperly in your vehicle. In Illinois, you can't have a gun in your glove compartment. The gun must be stored in an inaccessible area of the vehicle and must be unloaded.

* Aggravated Assault

Assault is one of the most common crimes in the nation, but it is still greatly misunderstood when it comes to the scope and meaning of the offense. While most people believe you have to hurt someone before you can be charged with assault, this is actually the crime of battery they are thinking of. Assault merely involves the threatening of violence to another person. Aggravated assault is more dramatic than simple assault, but still does not necessarily involve any actual violence. If you aren’t sure if a crime you committed qualifies as battery, aggravated assault or simple assault, please ask your Chicago criminal lawyer.

* Violent Crimes

People charged with violent crimes can range from someone who shoots a person while committing a crime to a college student who was in a bar fight. Regardless of the circumstances, violent crimes are serious charges that needed to be treated seriously. You could be charged with a crime even if you think that you did nothing wrong. Sometimes people are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. In bar fights, the police frequently use a standard rule: the winner of the fight goes to jail, and the loser goes to the hospital - even if the loser started it. Bars, to protect against lawsuits, will support the police rule regardless of who started the fight.

* Domestic Violence

Charges of domestic violence or domestic battery are serious charges that, once made, cannot be dropped if the complainant changes his or her mind and declines to press charges. If convicted of domestic violence or domestic battery, the consequences can be very serious. You will be looking at jail time, anger management classes, fines, separation orders, plus a criminal conviction that will be on your record forever and can be viewed by prospective employers, loan companies, and insurance companies. A domestic battery or violence conviction would also bar you from keeping a firearm or going hunting.

* Juvenile Crimes

Our goal as juvenile law attorneys is not just to keep your child out of jail, but to help the juvenile understand that if they do things right the arrest can be a learning experience and will not scar them. Our job as juvenile law attorneys is to keep your child from moving on to more serious things. Once someone gets plugged into the criminal justice system, it's hard to get out. Juvenile offenders are handled by special judges, special judges, special counselors, and special probation officers. As juvenile law attorneys, we serve as coordinators in working toward rehabilitation through the juvenile court system. We also work to keep your child from having a permanent record that could follow him or her around for life.

* Traffic Offenses

Any traffic ticket is potentially serious. Depending on the offense, you may end-up paying high-risk insurance. In addition, if you lose enough points on your driver's license, your license may be revoked. If you have a commercial driver's license (CDL) or need your vehicle for work, a traffic ticket could potentially jeopardize your livelihood. Just because you have been ticketed does not mean that you are guilty of the traffic offense. Traffic tickets can be dismissed, or you could be found not guilty. If you have been charged with a serious traffic offense, do not give up and plead guilty.

* Probation Violations

Probation is an excellent option to help reform non-threatening convicts into functional members of society without requiring the state to pay for their incarceration. Although the penalty has a number of restrictions, almost everyone on probation agrees it is far better than spending time in prison, but if you accused of violation probation, that’s exactly where you may end up. Fortunately, you are legally permitted to hire a skilled Illinois criminal attorney to help you protect your freedom by proving your innocence.

Attorneys

Mr. Raymond G. Wigell Attorney Arson, Assault, Battery, Bribery, Burglary

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