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).
Author Archives: mdkeenan
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T “JUST GET IT OVER WITH” WHEN YOU ARE CHARGED WITH AN ILLINOIS DUI
Being charged with DUI is nobody’s idea of a good time. It can be scary, stressful, expensive and a full of hassle. The temptation to enter a guilty plea and “just get it over with” is overwhelming. But it’s a … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
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DO I NEED TO COME TO COURT FOR AN ILLINOIS TRAFFIC TICKET?
Zoom has made court appearances for your traffic ticket easier than ever. Even if you are out of state, you can join court on your phone or laptop, although it remains to be seen if zoom court will continue … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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CAN YOU CHALLENGE THE BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST RESULTS FROM YOUR DUI?
After an accident, you were taken to a hospital and your blood was tested. The results gave you a blood alcohol result that was way over the legal limit. Can you challenge the testing? The answer depends on who did … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence, DUI testing
Tagged blood alcohol evidence, blood draw, blood testing
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CAN POLICE SEARCH MY HOSPITAL ROOM WITHOUT A WARRANT?
The answer is generally no. The Fourth Amendment protects you from warrantless searches in places where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy unless the search falls under an exception to the warrant requirement, such as when an item is … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence
Tagged hospital room, reasonable expectation of privacy
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CAN I BE STOPPED FOR PARKING IN A LOT LATE AT NIGHT?
You like driving late at night. It’s quiet, and it lets you think. One night, you pulled over to eat in a store’s parking lot. The store had been closed for several hours, and the area was deserted. An officer … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged parking lot
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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 SEARCH MY CAR BASED ON MARIJUANA WHEN POT IS LEGAL IN ILLINOIS?
According to the Illinois Supreme Court, the answer is yes, especially if combined with other factors. In People v. Hill, an officer stopped the defendant, then searched his car based on the strong odor of cannabis and a cannabis bud … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause, search of vehicle
Tagged cannabis, Marijuana, pot
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CAN YOU BE STOPPED FOR FAILING TO WEAR A SEAT BELT?
The answer is yes. Police can stop your car when they have probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred. Failure to wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt can be enough. During any stop, the driver … Continue reading
Posted in traffic offenses
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HOW QUICKLY SHOULD YOU STOP WHEN POLICE PULL YOUR CAR OVER?
If an officer pulls you over, you must stop as soon as you can safely do so. Stopping too slowly could give police the probable cause they need to search your car. Police may think you are hiding something or … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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DOES A MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATION GIVE POLICE THE RIGHT TO STOP MY CAR?
In most situations, the answer is yes. Police need probable cause before they can stop your car for a suspected offense. Violating even a minor traffic law can be enough. Furthermore, police may conduct a brief, investigatory stop where the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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