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.
.
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).
Author Archives: mdkeenan
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
Posted in DUI evidence, probable cause
Tagged anonymous tip
Comments Off on CAN POLICE STOP MY CAR BASED ON A TIP?
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
Posted in cannabis dui
Tagged burnt cannabis, cannabis, cannabis dui, Marijuana
Comments Off on DOES THE ODOR OF CANNABIS JUSTIFY A POLICE SEARCH?
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
Posted in driving on a suspended license
Tagged license suspension, suspended license
Comments Off on WHAT IS DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE IN ILLINOIS?
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
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on WHAT IS THE CRIME OF STREET RACING IN ILLINOIS?
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
Posted in driving on a suspended license, DUI evidence
Tagged aggravated dui, DUI without a license, suspended license
Comments Off on AGGRAVATED DUI WITHOUT A DRIVER’S LICENSE
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
Posted in DUI evidence, DUI testing
Tagged designated driver, designated driver DUI
Comments Off on CAN POLICE ARREST THE DESIGNATED DRIVER FOR DUI?
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
Posted in moving violations, traffic offenses
Tagged distracted driving, electronic communication device
Comments Off on WHAT IS DISTRACTED DRIVING IN ILLINOIS?
DO I NEED TO COME TO COURT FOR A TRAFFIC TICKET?
You were driving home from work when you got nailed for speeding. Or maybe you simply blew a stop sign or failed to signal. You wish to contest the ticket, but the court date is set for a time when … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on DO I NEED TO COME TO COURT FOR A TRAFFIC TICKET?
IS IT TOO LATE TO CLEAR MY OLD ILLINOIS ARREST WARRANT?
Years ago, you got in trouble in Illinois. You were arrested for a DUI or some other criminal offense, and then you left the state without finishing your case. Maybe you never actually lived in Illinois and picked up the … Continue reading
Posted in violation
Tagged open offense, open warrant, outstanding DUI
Comments Off on IS IT TOO LATE TO CLEAR MY OLD ILLINOIS ARREST WARRANT?
CAN POLICE TEST MY BLOOD IF I AM UNCONSCIOUS?
You appear to have caused an accident when driving home from a party. The crash was bad enough that you were knocked unconscious. When you came to in the hospital, the medical staff had tested your blood for substances and … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence
Tagged blood testing, hospital
Comments Off on CAN POLICE TEST MY BLOOD IF I AM UNCONSCIOUS?