On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, February 28, 2014 A major aim of the criminal justice system is to balance public safety with the privacy rights of anyone who may be accused of criminal wrongdoing. The two priorities within this greater aim tend to bump up against each other in potentially frustrating ways when law enforcement officers wish to search the body, car, home or other property of a person they suspect of engagingContinue reading →
On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Felonies on Friday, May 31, 2013 Becoming a member of a gang is an unquestionably hazardous choice. Membership may inspire certain perks, but it also tends to accompany illegal activity and potentially deadly consequences resulting from that activity. Gang-related crime activity is spiking sharply in Illinois. In an effort to quell this tide, the state legislature may soon afford gang members protection from retaliation in exchange for witness testimony related to certain felonies committedContinue reading →
On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Expunging a Criminal Historyon Tuesday, April 3, 2012 While unemployment is still pervasive among while collar job seekers, it is considerably worse for those with criminal records. In a story highlighted by the Chicago Reporter, applicants with the most common felony record (Class 2 drug possession) were universally being denied jobs because of their criminal backgrounds. It was as if the records themselves were creating insurmountable barriers to housing, economic opportunities, employmentContinue reading →
By Steve Haney posted in Hiring Competent Counsel on Sunday, February 9, 2014 Murder, sexual assault, drug delivery, … I have been involved in my share of court cases defending individuals charged with such offenses. A common question in casual conversation asked of me is “how can you represent those people?” It is, typically, asked with a tone suggesting I should bow my head in shame upon providing an answer. But, my head does not lower in shame, as there is no shame. I have practiced criminalContinue reading →
By Steve Haney posted in Sentence and Punishment on Monday, January 27, 2014 The death of Brian Nelson is a paradox that defines the word. Brian Nelson is a former client of mine who was sentenced to death after being convicted by a Will County, Illinois jury of the brutal multiple murder of his former girlfriend, her brother, father and father’s girlfriend. Brian was convicted of entering the home of his former girlfriend and brutally murdering her in a jealous rage. Also atContinue reading →
On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Sentence and Punishment on Thursday, November 7, 2013 When individuals are convicted of criminal wrongdoing, it is the justice system’s responsibility to ensure that they are held accountable in ways that protect the public from a high risk of repeat offenses and in ways that reasonably discipline the convicted person. A staggering number of recent studies indicate that alternatives to incarceration, mental health counseling and transition assistance usually do the greatest goodContinue reading →
On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, October 4, 2013 Although theft is not a violent crime, prosecutors in Illinois take theft charges seriously and the penalties for theft convictions can be very severe. A woman who was accused of stealing merchandise from her employer, an Office Depot in Carol Stream, was recently sentenced to more than four years in prison for the crime. A DuPage County judge also ordered her to pay $300,000 inContinue reading →
On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Felonies on Sunday, September 22, 2013 Oftentimes, individuals who commit criminal acts at one point in their lives reform their ways and move forward to lead healthy, happy and productive futures. Unfortunately, when you are convicted of a criminal act, this incident ordinarily remains on your criminal record for the rest of your life. Even if your criminal act occurred so long ago that you can hardly remember what drove you toContinue reading →
On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Criminal Defense on Monday, August 12, 2013 The New York Times recently published a story involving the murder of a California investor. Robbers bound and gagged him as they ransacked his home. The investor suffocated as a result of the tape used on his face to muffle his cries for help. When forensic investigators found DNA under the victim’s fingernails and placed the sample’s information into a DNA database, the individual whoseContinue reading →