Motion to Reconsider Sentence Does NOT Stop Appeal Filing Deadlines
Background. Louis Townsend pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon and was sentenced to 71 months in prison. He challenges his sentence on several grounds, but the government questions whether the appeal is timely. Townsend’s deadline for filing a notice...
Honest Services Fraud: Use of Word “Reward” In Jury Instruction Leads to Reversal
Thomas Hawkins and John Racasi were employed as analysts on the staff of Larry Rogers, a member of the Cook County Board of Review, when they accepted money from Ali Haleem, a corrupt Chicago police officer...
Honest Services Fraud: Use of Word “Reward” In Jury Instruction Leads to Reversal
Thomas Hawkins and John Racasi were employed as analysts on the staff of Larry Rogers, a member of the Cook County Board of Review, when they accepted money from Ali Haleem, a corrupt Chicago police officer...
Chicago Federal Defense Attorney Michael J. Petro Success at Dirksen
Success at Dirksen Building. Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Michael J. Petro fought tooth and nail against the government’s Petition for Preliminary Order of Forfeiture. The petition sought proceeds and specific property including substitute assets. The Judge listened to Mr. Petro’s arguments and dismissed the government’s petition. Savings to client $550K!
Police Use of Lethal Force: Boilerplate Rules
Near midnight on July 18, 2004, Lieutenant Joseph Forthman of the West Memphis, Arkansas, Police Department pulled over a white Honda Accord because the car had only one operating headlight. Donald Rickard was the driver of the Accord, and Kelly Allen...
Pro Se Representation: Boilerplate Rules
The defendant was convicted by a jury of having committed, along with another man, four drug-related robberies of pharmacies in Milwaukee, and also of having used a firearm in connection with the robberies and having possessed a...
DOJ Refusal to Provide Discovery in Fake Stash House Robbery Leads to Dismissal
This appeal arises from one of multiple criminal cases pending in the Northern District of Illinois in which the defendants are charged with conspiring to rob a non-existent “stash house” which, they were led to...
New FRE 404(b) Test Leads to Reversal
On a foggy night in Chicago, police officers patrolling the west side of the city spotted Marvin Chapman walking down a sidewalk carrying a bag with what looked like the barrel of a rifle protruding from it. As the officers approached, Chapman...
FRE 404(b): New Test to Admit
Editors Note: Chicago Federal Criminal Defense Attorney Michael J. Petro Represented Gomez at his Motion to Suppress Evidence, at trial, on direct appeal and in this en banc appeal.
Before WOOD, Chief Judge, and BAUER, POSNER, FLAUM, EASTERBROOK, KANNE, ROVNER, WILLIAMS, SYKES, TINDER, and...
5th Amendment: Silence and Not Answering Police Questions Is Now Evidence
Without being placed in custody or receiving Miranda warnings, Salinas voluntarily answered the questions of a police officer who was investigating a murder. But petitioner balked when the officer asked whether a ballistics test would show that the shell casings found at the...