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: traffic stop
DID THE OFFICER’S REASON FOR STOPPING YOU DISAPPEAR?
You were driving down the road when you thought you saw an animal so you slammed on your brakes. Then you noticed a police car behind you. After a few blocks, the officer stopped you, even though your driving was … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence, probable cause
Tagged reasonable articulable suspicion, traffic stop
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CAN POLICE CHANGE THE REASON THEY STOP ME?
An officer can stop you for one reason then investigate you for another as long as the stop is not unduly prolonged. Whether a stop was unduly prolonged, and thus illegal, is a very fact-intensive question, which different judges may … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause, search of vehicle
Tagged narcotics dog, traffic stop, unduly prolonged
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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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A CHICAGO POLICE INVESTIGATIVE ALERT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO UPHOLD A TRAFFIC STOP IN ILLINOIS
Updated August 2, 2019: Illinois Appellate Court finds Chicago investigative alerts are unconstitutional. See our related blog at Illinois Court Finds Arrest Based on Chicago Police Investigative Alert Unconstitutional Calling Chicago police investigative alerts “troubling,” some Illinois courts have been … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged investigative alerts, police stops, traffic stop
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EXTRADITION TO ILLINOIS: THE UNFINISHED CRIMINAL CASE
With ever-expanding access to information, police in one state can easily learn about any criminal charges you have open in another state. And that can lead to extradition. Extradition means you could be arrested in your current state and brought … Continue reading
Posted in traffic offenses
Tagged extradition, traffic stop, unfinished sentence, violation of sentence
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CAN THE POLICE ASK FOR MY DRIVER’S LICENSE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP?
The answer is yes. Recent U.S. and Illinois Supreme Court cases have held that a request for a driver’s license is reasonable regardless of the reason for the stop. Before 2005, police could not change the nature of a traffic … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause, traffic offenses
Tagged traffic stop
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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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NEW SUPREME COURT LAW ON ANONYMOUS TIPS AND DUI
Police are allowed to stop drivers based on anonymous tips. The key question is whether the tip was reliable enough to provide probable cause for the stop. The Supreme Court just made that job a lot easier for the prosecution. … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence, probable cause
Tagged anonymous tip, probable cause, traffic stop
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CAN THEY SEARCH MY STUFF IN SOMEONE ELSE’S CAR?
You were a passenger in a friend’s car. You had your suitcase in the backseat. Your friend got pulled over by police, and police searched your bag and found drugs or weapons. Can the police search your bag if you … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, search of vehicle
Tagged arrest, driving under the influence, drunk driving, DUI, probable cause, traffic stop
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“CAN THEY REALLY STOP ME FOR THAT?” OBSTRUCTED WINDSHIELDS, IMPROPER LICENSE PLATE DISPLAY, AND OTHER MINOR OFFENSES
UPDATED July 25, 2023: As of January 1, 2024, police will no longer be able to stop you for something hanging from your front windshield. While you may not drive a motor vehicle with any objects suspended between you and … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, moving violations, probable cause, speeding, traffic offenses, violation
Tagged improper license plate display, obstructed mirror, probable cause, traffic stop, traffic tickets, violation
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