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
“BUT I WASN’T NEAR MY CAR!”: THE “DRIVING” IN ILLINOIS DUI
If you are walking down the street, it seems reasonable to assume that you aren’t in the act of driving. Yet, under Illinois law, you can be charged with drunk driving even if you are nowhere near your car. How … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, DUI evidence
Tagged driving, physical control
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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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BE POLITE TO YOUR OFFICER: COURTESY DURING A POLICE STOP
Despite the bad apples you see in the news, the majority of police officers are decent people just trying to do a dangerous job the best way they can. Therefore, if you are stopped by police, you should treat them … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged dui stops, traffic stops
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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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BE CAREFUL HOW YOU PARK YOUR CAR! IMPROPER PARKING CAN BE PROBABLE CAUSE
After a few drinks at the bar, you pulled over on the side of the road. Perhaps you only meant to stop for a moment to use the phone or grab something from the back seat. Perhaps you were tired … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged improper parking, parking, probable cause
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TAKING THE BREATHALYZER IN ILLINOIS: WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH AIR?
The police pulled you over under suspicion of DUI. You knew you’d only had one drink, so you agreed to take the breathalyzer. But somehow you didn’t blow enough air into the machine. After several tries, the police officer marked … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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BIG TROUBLE: DRIVING ON A REVOKED LICENSE IN ILLINOIS
Illinois is serious about enforcing its laws about driving on a revoked license when the underlying offense involves drugs or alcohol. Recently, a DuPage County judge sentenced a defendant to 8 ½ years in prison for two counts of driving … Continue reading
Posted in driving on a suspended license, suspensions
Tagged driving on revoked, revoked license, suspended license, suspension
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“THEY JUST FOLLOWED ME:” POLICE STOPS IN ILLINOIS
You pulled out of the gas station and set off on your way home. You’d just had a few beers after work. A couple blocks later, you noticed a squad car behind you. The car continued following you and then … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged investigatory stop, search and seizure
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PROVING THE BREATHALYZER IN ILLINOIS
You had always heard that if you were stopped for DUI, you should refuse to take a breathalyzer. But when the time came, you went right along with police and blew over the limit. What can you do? When you … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence
Tagged breathalyzer, portable breathalyzer
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