Author Archives: mdkeenan

About mdkeenan

A criminal and school law attorney with over 17 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 and the Illinois State Bar Association. I serve as a volunteer for First Defense Legal Aid. Se habla espanol.

HOW SPEEDING CAN LEAD TO BIGGER TROUBLE

Legally, a police officer cannot pull you over  without justification. This can come in the form of community caretaking, such as when the officer sees you sleeping in your car and checks to see if you are OK. Otherwise, the … Continue reading

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CAN I GET TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR DUI BECAUSE MY LICENSE IS SUSPENDED?

The answer is yes, depending on why your license is suspended or revoked. Once your license is revoked or suspended, it’s revoked or suspended until the Secretary of State says it’s not.  A suspension is usually for a set time, … Continue reading

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CAN I DRIVE WHEN MY LICENSE SUSPENSION EXPIRES?

The answer is no.  Or at least not until you have applied to the Secretary of State to restore your license and paid any fees.  A suspension does not end automatically. If you are charged with DUI in Illinois, the … Continue reading

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CAN POLICE STOP MY CAR BASED ON A TIP?

The answer is yes, but the information must be reliable and allow the officer to reasonably infer that you were involved in criminal activity. In determining reliability, a court partly looks at whether the tipster was anonymous or not. Calls … Continue reading

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DOES THE ODOR OF CANNABIS JUSTIFY A POLICE SEARCH?

The Illinois Supreme Court says it doesn’t. Before the court’s decision, there had been some confusion on the topic.  One appellate court said that the smell by itself justified a search, while another appellate court said it didn’t.  But the … Continue reading

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WHAT IS DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE IN ILLINOIS?

You pled guilty to DUI a couple months ago, and now your license is suspended.  Unfortunately, you needed to get someplace fast, and you thought you could get away with driving just this once.  But after you missed a stop … Continue reading

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WHAT IS THE CRIME OF STREET RACING IN ILLINOIS?

The scene comes at the end of the movie American Graffiti.  Two cars racing side by side, one driven by Harrison Ford with Cindy Williams as passenger.  Harrison’s car loses control, flips over and sets on fire.  Luckily, no one … Continue reading

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AGGRAVATED DUI WITHOUT A DRIVER’S LICENSE

In Illinois, a simple DUI can become an aggravated offense if your license is not in order.  There are two ways that this can happen: Your license was revoked or suspended because you have a prior DUI, reckless homicide or … Continue reading

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CAN POLICE ARREST THE DESIGNATED DRIVER FOR DUI?

You went out with friends for a birthday.  Early on, you had a few drinks but after that you sipped ginger ale in order to be the designated driver.  A few hours later, police pulled you over for speeding. Then, … Continue reading

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WHAT IS DISTRACTED DRIVING IN ILLINOIS?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed 3,308 people in 2022.  But what exactly is distracted driving? In Illinois, you may not drive while using a wireless telephone or electronic communication device. This includes streaming video, … Continue reading

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