Palatine Criminal Law Information Center

The Village of Palatine is a village in Illinois that is located in the northwest part of Chicago and is part of Cook County. The Village of Palatine is one of the largest communities in the State of Illinois. Palatine has a population of almost 70,000 people, which makes it the seventh largest town in Cook County. Palatine is made up of a diverse community. Almost 18,000 families call Palatine their home. Roughly 75% of the population of Palatine is white while approximately 18% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. The average median income for a household in Palatine is almost $64,000 a year. Palatine is the home of a large JPMorgan Chase credit card processing center. Palatine is also the home of Weber Grill and Square D, which is the largest maker of circuit breakers in the United States.

The first settler in Palatine was George Ela. Ela came to the area after the Black Hawk War. A well-known street on the western edge of Palatine is named in George Ela's honor. The Village of Palatine was started in 1866 along the Chicago and North-Western Railway. The Railway was closed in 1924. In 1991 Palatine gained national exposure when Rob Sherman, a well-known local atheist, sued Palatine because Palatine had placed a religious symbol on their Village seal and their Village flag. The residents of Palatine voted to not fund the effort to fight the lawsuit in court. As a result, Palatine does not have a Village seal or a Village flag to this day.

Palatine received more national attention in 1993 when two men murdered seven employees at a Brown's Chicken and Pasta restaurant in Palatine. The assailants entered the restaurant at closing time and rounded up the employees and placed them in a cooler. They stole approximately $22,000 and then killed all of the employees in the cooler. The case remained unsolved until 2002 when a witness came forward to inform authorities that James Degorski and Juan Luna had committed the murders. In 2007, Luna was found guilty of Murder and sentenced to life in prison. Degorski was found guilty of Murder in 2009 and also sentenced to life in prison. The trials brought an end to one of the longest-running crime mysteries in Chicago.

According to the FBI crime statistics, the crime rate in Palatine has been declining steadily. The City-data crime index in 2015, was 55.8. In 2014, it was 62.6. In 2001 it was 172.4. The higher the index indicates more crime.

Palatine is part of the Cook County Judicial Circuit, the largest Judicial Circuit Court system in the State of Illinois. Palatine criminal cases are heard at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse which is located at 2121 Euclid Avenue, Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008. The courthouse is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Palatine Bond Hearings are held every weekday at 1:30 p.m. in Room 108 at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse. Palatine Domestic Battery Bond Hearings are held in the morning in Room 2007. Any Palatine Bond Hearings on weekends and on court holidays are held at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building at 26th and California in Chicago at 1:30 p.m. in Room 100. If Bond is posted at the Bond Court, you will be released from Bond Court. If Bond is not posted at Bond Court you will be turned over to the Cook County Sheriff and taken to Cook County Jail at 26th and California.

Palatine felony cases are heard in Room 109 and 110 at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse.  Some serious Palatine felony cases, like the Brown's Chicken Murder cases, are also heard at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building at 26th and California in Chicago.

Palatine Domestic Battery cases are heard in Room 2007 of the Rolling Meadows Courthouse. Room 207 is a dedicated Domestic Violence Courtroom for all Rolling Meadows Domestic Battery cases. Palatine Misdemeanor Battery cases are at 9:30 in the morning and Palatine Felony Aggravated Domestic Battery cases are at 1:30 in the afternoon.

Palatine misdemeanor cases are heard throughout various courtrooms on the first and second floor of the Rolling Meadows Courthouse.  This includes Palatine Drug cases, Palatine DUI cases, Palatine Battery cases, Palatine Shoplifting cases, Palatine Theft, and Palatine Retail Theft cases.

Palatine traffic ticket cases are also heard throughout the first and second floor of the Rolling Meadows Courthouse on specific days of each month.

Palatine criminal lawyer, James Dimeas, has spent the past 27 years representing people charged with crimes and criminal offenses throughout Palatine. James Dimeas has the unique experience with Palatine criminal cases that gives him a unique perspective and realistic insight into the importance of effectively and successfully representing clients charged with a criminal case in Palatine.

Palatine criminal defense attorney, James Dimeas, understands that having a criminal conviction can have long-term implications. Virtually all employers conduct very thorough background searches before hiring an employee. In an already tight job market, it is important that a prospective employer does not find something in a background search that would make it more difficult for you to obtain a good job. Anything that happens in court is public record. If you are arrested and charged with a crime, the arrest and the criminal charges will be made a part of the public record. If you are convicted of a crime, the record of the conviction will also be a part of the public record. Palatine criminal defense lawyer, James Dimeas, has spent the past 26 years representing people charged with criminal offenses throughout the Village of Palatine. James Dimeas understands the importance of making sure that your criminal record is clean so that a future employer can never find out anything that would make it difficult for you to get a job.

Palatine criminal attorney, James Dimeas, has been focusing his legal practice in criminal law for over-27 years. James Dimeas's office is located in Schaumburg Illinois, within minutes of Palatine and just a short drive to the Rolling Meadows Courthouse. James Dimeas's office is centrally located so that it is easily accessible to all residents of Palatine. James Dimeas's office is located close to The Rolling Meadows Courthouse so that he can get to the Courthouse at a moment's notice. Palatine criminal defense lawyer, James Dimeas, is available by phone, 24-hours a day, to answer any criminal law questions and to provide assistance to anyone facing a Palatine criminal charge. James Dimeas is frequently asked to go to the Palatine Police Station to meet with a client who has been arrested and is being questioned by the police. James Dimeas lives in the area and knows the community and knows how the police and prosecutors in the area handle that are involved with criminal cases.

James Dimeas is a nationally-recognized, award-winning, Palatine criminal defense attorney with over-27 years of experience handling criminal cases in Palatine, Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County.  Recently, James Dimeas was named a "Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer In the State of Illinois For the Year 2018, 2019, and 2020" by the American Society of Legal Advocates. James Dimeas was named a "Best DUI Attorney" and a "Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in Chicago" by Expertise. Attorney and Practice Magazine gave James Dimeas the "Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney Award for Illinois," and the award for "DUI Defense Top 10." The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys gave James Dimeas the "Top 10 Attorney Award for the State of Illinois." James Dimeas is rated "Superb," 10 out of 10,  by AVVO, the organization that rates all of the lawyers throughout the United States. James Dimeas's "Superb" rating is the highest rating possible for any criminal defense lawyer in the United States. James Dimeas, was named a "Top 100 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer" by The National Trial Lawyers. The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys named James Dimeas a "10 Best Attorney for Client Satisfaction."

Palatine criminal attorney, James Dimeas, is always available to help you fight and win your criminal case.  You can always contact James Dimeas for a free and confidential consultation.  You can always talk to James Dimeas personally by calling 847-807-7405 for a free and confidential consultation or make an appointment at his office in Schaumburg for a fact-to-face meeting. James Dimeas's office is located on Golf Road, just west of Roselle Road in Schaumburg.