ABOUT ME
Matt Keenan
Se habla español.
A criminal and school law attorney with over 24 years of experience, I have successfully represented clients all over the Chicago area. My practice includes DUI, felony, criminal, misdemeanor, homicide, internet crime, retail theft, traffic offenses, cyberstalking, drug crimes, weapons violations, domestic battery and juvenile crime. I also represent families involving school cases. My clients come from all over the Chicago area including Skokie, Wilmette, Niles, Northbrook, Glenview, Evanston, Winnetka, Highland park, Northfield, Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Mount Prospect. I am a member of the ACLU, Illinois State Bar Association.
We wrote the chapters on DEFENSES and ARRESTS AND INVESTIGATORY STOPS.
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Illinois Jurisprudence: Criminal Law and Procedure. Vol. 1. (LexisNexis 2014).We wrote the chapters on SEARCH and SEIZURE, MOTIONS AND DISCOVERY, and EVIDENTIARY MATTERS GENERALLY.
Illinois Jurisprudence: Criminal Law and Procedure. Vol. 1. (LexisNexis 2014).
Tag Archives: probable cause
THE ABCs of DUI Defense
You didn’t see the cop until you went through the stop sign. Or maybe you were in an accident after leaving a party, and the cops were called. Now you are charged with drunk driving. Can you defend your case? … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, DUI evidence
Tagged breathalyzer, probable cause
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CAN POLICE SEARCH MY CAR BECAUSE I’M NERVOUS?
Without more, the answer is probably not. Under Illinios law, nervousness by itself does not give an officer probable cause for the search. While most police searches require a warrant, there is an exception for automobiles. Under that exception, law … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged furtive movement, nervousness, probable cause
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CAN AN OFFICER SEARCH MY CAR BASED ON ANOTHER OFFICER’S PROBABLE CAUSE?
An officer stopped you for DUI and had you taking field sobriety tests. While doing so, a second officer searched your car without speaking to the first officer. The search uncovered some narcotics, and now you are charged with DUI … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged illegal search, probable cause, search
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CAN POLICE SEARCH YOUR CAR? IT DEPENDS ON THE FACTS
A police officer can stop you if he or she has probable cause. An unlit headlight may be cause enough. But once stopped, an officer needs either your consent or a reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing to search your car. What … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause, search of vehicle
Tagged probable cause, reasonable suspicion
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CAN POLICE USE A DOG TO SNIFF YOUR CAR?
If police stop you for a traffic violation, they don’t need a reason to change the reason they stopped you. For example, they can stop you for speeding but then bring in a narcotics dog to sniff your car. However, … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence, search of vehicle, traffic offenses
Tagged dog sniff, narcotics, probable cause, search and seizure, traffic stop
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CAN I BE STOPPED FOR DRIVING SLOWLY?
A person who has had a few too many often tries to compensate by driving more slowly. But driving too far under the speed limit can also give police the probable cause they need to stop you for drunk driving. … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged community caretaking, probable cause, traffic violation
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ILLINOIS LAW REQUIRES POLICE TO ASK BEFORE GIVING A PORTABLE BREATHALYZER TEST
Recent Illinois case law has clarified that an officer must ask you to take the portable breathlayzer test (PBT) and give you enough time to refuse before giving the test, or your case could be dismissed. If you are stopped … Continue reading
Posted in breathalyzer/field sobriety test, DUI testing
Tagged breathalyzer testing, portable breathalyzer, probable cause, testing
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Can the Police Stop You for Switching Seats in Illinois?
You and your friend just came from a party. You were driving, but you started to feel sick. You pulled over to let your passenger drive. That’s when the police officer came up behind you. Now you’re charged with DUI. … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged community caretaking, probable cause, switching seats
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HOW LONG CAN POLICE STOP MY CAR IN ILLINOIS?
There are no hard and fast rules about how much time police can take to perform a routine traffic stop. However, police may keep you no longer than necessary to accomplish the purpose of that stop. How long is necessary … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause, search of vehicle
Tagged detention, dog sniff, investigatory stop, narcotics dog, probable cause, reasonable grounds, search and seizure, traffic stop
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SNIFFING AROUND YOUR CAR: DOG SNIFF SEARCHES IN ILLINOIS
Generally, you do not have the same privacy rights in a car that you would in your home. So while a trained narcotics dog may not sniff outside your apartment door, the dog may sniff around your car. Worse yet, … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause, search of vehicle
Tagged car searches, dog sniff, narcotics dog, police searches, probable cause, reasonable searches, search and seizure, search incident to arrest
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