Burglary

Chicago Burglary attorney, James Dimeas, has been handling Burglary cases throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County for over-29 years. James Dimeas is a highly-respected Burglary lawyer who understands that a criminal charge of Burglary is a very serious crime in Illinois. Burglary charges carry a potential prison sentence and a felony conviction that can remain on your record for the rest of your life. 

There are basically three different ways that the criminal charge of Burglary can be charged in Illinois. The first is when you enter a commercial building with the intent to steal something. The second is when you enter a vehicle with the intent to steal something. The third way you can be charged with a Burglary in Illinois is when you enter a residence with the intent to steal. Burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, has the experience handling Burglary cases throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County to understand that all three are a serious crime in Illinois that can lead to prison time and a lifetime of lost employment and educational opportunities.

Burglary attorney, James Dimeas, has spent the past 29 years handling burglary cases in Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County. James Dimeas understands how serious Burglary criminal charges are and understands the impact that they will have on your life. James Dimeas knows how the police and investigators investigate Burglary cases and how they put together their evidence and make Burglary cases. Chicago burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, will use his 29 years of experience to thoroughly examine the evidence in your case, knowing how the police and prosecutors build Burglary cases, and will look at every angle to try to win the case and have the charges dismissed. Burglary lawyer James Dimeas understands that every case is different and will examine your case thoroughly with an eye towards winning the case.

James Dimeas has developed relationships with experts and ex-police officers who he consults with when defending Burglary criminal charges, and Burglary Court cases in Illinois.  James Dimeas understands that often the police will rush to judgment and will make mistakes that will allow James Dimeas to have the court exclude evidence and weaken the state's case. Sometimes the police will fail to administer Miranda warnings to suspects which will make it possible for James Dimeas to have the court throw out a statement or a confession. Sometimes the police will conduct a search of a residence or a vehicle without probable cause and without a search warrant.  This mistake will allow Chicago Burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, to have the court throw out any evidence seized as a result of an illegal search and seizure.

Developing an effective defense strategy for a Burglary case is critical for the representation of a Burglary case in Illinois. 29 years of experience handling Burglary criminal charges in Illinois gives Burglary lawyer James Dimeas a unique perspective on Burglary cases and gives him a thorough understanding of Illinois Law developed over-29 years of handling numerous Burglary cases throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County.

Illinois defines Burglary 720 ILCS 5/19-1 as entering someone's vehicle or building with the intent to steal something. It's not enough to just enter a vehicle or a commercial property illegally or without permission. The state also has to prove that when the entry happened there was the intent to steal something and commit a Theft. In many cases, proving the intent element of the criminal Burglary charge can be a problem for the prosecution. Since Burglary is a specific intent crime that requires proof of intent, when the state is unable to prove the intent, they will usually be forced to reduce the charges to a Criminal Trespass which is a misdemeanor and which carries a misdemeanor sentence. Burglary is a Class 2 felony in Illinois which carries a potential prison sentence of three to seven years but allows for probation. In his 27 years of handling Burglary cases throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County, Chicago Burglary lawyer James Dimeas has been successful in having Burglary charges reduced and dropped because he was able to weaken the state’s case and they were unable to prove the intent needed to get a conviction for a Burglary charge.

The other type of Burglary in Illinois is Residential Burglary 720 ILCS 5/19-3 which is a much more serious criminal offense in Illinois. The criminal charge of Residential Burglary in Illinois requires that the state prove that you entered the residence of another person with the intent to steal. Residential Burglary is a much more serious crime than simple Burglary because Residential Burglary in Illinois is a Class 1 felony which carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 4 to 15 years. Probation is not available in Illinois for Residential Burglary.

Burglary attorney, James Dimeas, understands that the fact that Residential Burglary in Illinois does not allow for probation makes Residential Burglary a very serious criminal charge in Illinois.  In order to avoid a mandatory prison sentence for Residential Burglary in Illinois, it is critical that the state reduce the charges from a Residential Burglary to a simple Burglary so that you could be eligible for probation. In 29 years of representing people charged with Residential Burglary, James Dimeas understands how to negotiate with the state to reduce a Residential Burglary down to a Burglary and to obtain probation for a client facing a compelling case of Residential Burglary.

Every Burglary case has its own specific and unique facts. It is not easy for the state to prove every element of a Burglary charge in Illinois. Burglary cases are won and lost on the specific facts of a case. Burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, has 27 years of experience handling virtually every type of Burglary case throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County. James Dimeas has learned to develop a defense strategy for every particular case depending on the specific facts of the case. Burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, will consider these possible ways of defending a Burglary charge.

• Challenge the reliability of witness testimony.  Many times, a witness will talk to several police officers and will give different versions of what they claimed to have witnessed.  The inconsistencies in the witness statements can be used to cast doubt on the credibility of a witness.
• If the state is intending to introduce a statement you made to them, or a confession, and the police did not administer proper Miranda warnings, Burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, will challenge the legal admissibility of those statements and will get them thrown out.
• If the state is intending to use evidence obtained as a result of a search of a residence or a vehicle and the police did not have probable cause to search your residence or vehicle, and did not have search warrant, Burglary attorney, James Dimeas, will file a motion to have that evidence suppressed and excluded in your case.
• Challenge the credibility of a police officer's testimony by pointing out inconsistencies in the various police reports and in the police reports from other police officers and from witnesses.
• Challenge the state to prove the specific intent to steal which is an essential element to all the Burglary charges in Illinois.
• Challenged the state to prove that the structure was a residence which will defeat a charge of Residential Burglary in Illinois.
• Challenge the investigative techniques used by the police to collect the evidence that the state intends to use in your Burglary case.  Sometimes the police do not use the proper scientific techniques necessary to properly and legally obtain evidence such as DNA samples and fingerprint evidence. If the police did not collect the evidence correctly, Chicago Burglary attorney, James Dimeas, knows how to have that evidence thrown out and excluded at your trial.
• Burglary lawyer James Dimeas will challenge the chain of custody of the evidence.  When the police collect, and retrieve evidence, they must maintain and preserve the evidence properly before being allowed to introduce the evidence in court.  James Dimeas will challenge the reliability of the evidence and will challenge the chain of custody to have the evidence collected by the police thrown out.

Award-Winning Burglary Lawyer to Defend You In Your Burglary Case

James Dimeas is a nationally-recognized, award-winning, Burglary attorney and published author. Attorney and Practice Magazine gave James Dimeas the "Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney Award for Illinois," and the "Top 10 DUI Defense Attorney" award. The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys gave James Dimeas the "Top 10 Attorney Award for the State of Illinois." The National Trial Lawyers named James Dimeas a "Top 100 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer." Expertise named James Dimeas a "Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in Chicago." Mr. Dimeas was named a "Best DUI Attorney." The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys named James Dimeas a "10 Best Attorney for Client Satisfaction." Recently, the American Society of Legal Advocates name James Dimeas a "2018 Top 100 Lawyer." AVVO rates James Dimeas as "Superb", 10 out of 10, the highest rating possible for any Burglary lawyer in the United States. James Dimeas is widely considered to be one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Illinois.

If you are facing Burglary charges in Illinois, Burglary lawyer, James Dimeas, will use his over-29 years of experience handling Burglary cases in Illinois to help you defeat the charges and to avoid going to prison. James Dimeas has been handling Burglary cases in Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County for over 29 years. Contact James Dimeas anytime for a free and confidential consultation. To talk about the specific facts of your case you can always talk to James Dimeas personally at 847-807-7405.