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).
Tag Archives: probable cause
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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NEW SUPREME COURT LAW ON ANONYMOUS TIPS AND DUI
Police are allowed to stop drivers based on anonymous tips. The key question is whether the tip was reliable enough to provide probable cause for the stop. The Supreme Court just made that job a lot easier for the prosecution. … Continue reading
Posted in DUI evidence, probable cause
Tagged anonymous tip, probable cause, traffic stop
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WHEN A TRAFFIC VIOLATION IS NOT A TRAFFIC VIOLATION
It’s not hard for police to justify a traffic stop. There are a host of potential traffic violations, and chances are, you’ve violated at least one of them. But not in every case. A recent Illinois Appellate case found that … Continue reading
Posted in moving violations, traffic offenses
Tagged probable cause, traffic violation
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CAN THEY SEARCH MY STUFF IN SOMEONE ELSE’S CAR?
You were a passenger in a friend’s car. You had your suitcase in the backseat. Your friend got pulled over by police, and police searched your bag and found drugs or weapons. Can the police search your bag if you … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, search of vehicle
Tagged arrest, driving under the influence, drunk driving, DUI, probable cause, traffic stop
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“CAN THEY REALLY STOP ME FOR THAT?” OBSTRUCTED WINDSHIELDS, IMPROPER LICENSE PLATE DISPLAY, AND OTHER MINOR OFFENSES
UPDATED July 25, 2023: As of January 1, 2024, police will no longer be able to stop you for something hanging from your front windshield. While you may not drive a motor vehicle with any objects suspended between you and … Continue reading
Posted in DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, moving violations, probable cause, speeding, traffic offenses, violation
Tagged improper license plate display, obstructed mirror, probable cause, traffic stop, traffic tickets, violation
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“SOMEONE TOLD THE POLICE I WAS DRUNK!”: WHEN YOU ARE STOPPED FOR DUI BASED ON A TIP
You had a few drinks at the bar over the course of a few hours. You hadn’t broken any laws on your way home, but the police stopped you and arrested you for DUI. Turns out someone from the bar … Continue reading
Posted in probable cause
Tagged DUI arrest, informants, probable cause, search and seizure, tips
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IMPROPER LANE USAGE IN ILLINOIS: A PATH TO DUI
After a few drinks at a party, you were driving home listening to your favorite CD, when you heard the siren behind you. The police pulled you over because you had crossed momentarily into the adjoining lane. Once stopped, the … Continue reading
Posted in moving violations, traffic offenses, violation
Tagged crossing center line, crossing traffic lane, improper lane usage, probable cause
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BE CAREFUL WHAT PEOPLE CAN SEE IN YOUR CAR! THE PLAIN VIEW EXCEPTION TO POLICE SEARCHES IN ILLINOIS
You ran a red light when the police officer pulled you over. After making the stop, the officer noticed some spoons and straws sticking out of your visor. The officer opened the visor. As it turns out, you stashed a … Continue reading
Posted in moving violations, search of vehicle, speeding, traffic offenses
Tagged plain view exception, police searches, probable cause, warrantless searches
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THE BREATHALYZER: HOW YOU CAN GET A FALSE READING
You just got stopped for DUI. The officer asked you to perform some field sobriety tests and take the portable breathalyzer. You agreed. After all, you figured you only had a couple beers, the result would be well below the … Continue reading
Posted in breathalyzer/field sobriety test
Tagged breathalyzer, field sobriety tests, probable cause, traffic stop
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