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
THE AUTOMATIC DRIVER’S LICENSE DUI SUSPENSION IN ILLINOIS: THE 31-DAY NO-DRIVING WINDOW
(UPDATE: As of January 1, 2016, the 31-day window has been abolished.) When you are charged with DUI in Illinois, the Secretary of State automatically suspends your license. The suspension starts on the 46th day after your arrest and can … Continue reading
Posted in driving on a suspended license, secretary of state, suspensions
Tagged automatic suspension, BAIID, breath-activated ignitiion interlock device, drivers license suspension, driving privileges, statutory summary suspension, suspended license
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BE CAREFUL HOW YOU APPROACH THAT DUI POLICE CHECKPOINT
Illinois police are allowed to set up roadblocks to catch drunk drivers within certain guidelines. The checkpoint can only be minimally intrusive to the driver, it must look official, and it must follow police department rules. But even if your … Continue reading
Posted in road blocks
Tagged checkpoint, excessive speeding, field sobriety checkpoints, police checkpoints, police roadblocks, roadblocks, speeding
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NEW ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT CASE DEFINES PARENTAL EXCEPTION TO UNDERAGE DRINKING
As most of us know, the drinking age in Illinois is 21. Parents who are social hosts of underage drinkers or establishments that provide alcohol to those under 21 can face criminal penalties. But there is an exception to that … Continue reading
Posted in underage drinking
Tagged social hosting, underage drinking, underage drinking and driving, zero tolerance
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NEW ILLINOIS LAW CRACKS DOWN ON SPEEDERS ONCE AGAIN
A new Illinois law has dropped the threshold for when your routine speeding ticket becomes a criminal offense. Speeding first became criminalized as a misdemeanor in 2011. Driving more than 31 miles over the limit was upgraded to a Class … Continue reading
Posted in moving violations, speeding, traffic offenses, Uncategorized
Tagged class a misdemeanor, class b misdemeanor, excessive speeding, moving violation, speeding
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DO I NEED AN ATTORNEY FOR DUI? NOW, MORE THAN EVER, UNDER NEW IL CASE LAW.
It’s almost never a good idea to represent yourself. Clients generally do not have the knowledge, skill or distance to act as their own attorney in DUI or criminal court. The average defendant simply does not know the ins and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged dui attorney, dui representation
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IS A CONFESSION ENOUGH TO CONVICT YOU OF DUI IN ILLINOIS?
You had several drinks at a party, then drove yourself and some friends home. On the way, you hit a light pole. You were walking home when police stopped you. You told them you’d had too much to drink and … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Tagged confession, evidence
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DO I NEED AN ATTORNEY FOR A DUI BOND HEARING IN ILLINOIS?
(UPDATED 1/16/24: Illinois eliminated cash bond under the SAFE-T Act as of September 18, 2023. However, you can still be held in jail if the state meets certain criteria. You should still consider hiring an attorney for any pre-trial detention … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged arrest, bail, bail hearing, bond, bond hearing
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CAN I LOSE MY DRIVER’S LICENSE BECAUSE OF A DUI IN ILLINOIS?
You have been arrested for DUI. You remember the police officer said something about a suspension, but you don’t remember exactly what. And what if you are found guilty? Will you lose your license then? Generally, a first-time DUI results … Continue reading
Posted in suspensions
Tagged drivers license, revocation, statutory summary suspension, suspension, zero tolerance
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WHY IS MY CHICAGO DUI IN SKOKIE?
You seldom set foot out of the city. You live in Chicago, you were pulled over for DUI in Chicago, Chicago police arrested you, and your bond hearing was held in Chicago. But now, you’re heading for your first court … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Chicago DUI, courthouse, felony
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CAN THEY TAKE MY BLOOD? YOUR RIGHTS AND DUI BLOOD TESTING
You were leaving an after-work party, when you missed a stop sign and slammed into another car. Both you and the other driver were taken to the hospital. At the hospital, an officer asked the nurse to draw your blood … Continue reading
Posted in breathalyzer/field sobriety test, DUI testing
Tagged blood testing, breathalyzer, field sobriety tests
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