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CHICAGO CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY
 312-869-2603
CHICAGO CRIMINAL
DEFENSE:
Chicago criminal
defense lawyer representation provided in Chicago, Cook County, Dupage
County, Kane County and surrounding areas.
 CHICAGO
STATE AND FEDERAL DRUG CASES - POSSESSION, DELIVERY, CONSPIRACY
CHICAGO
STATE AND FEDERAL COMPUTER CRIMES, FINANCIAL CRIMES
CHICAGO
STATE AND FEDERAL SEX CRIMES - Child pornography cases - crossing
state lines, assault.
CHICAGO FORFEITURE CASES
MOST
ALL OTHER FELONIES - Robbery, Burglary, Attempt Murder, Murder, Battery
CRUSADER OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE
Jason
R. Epstein, a Chicago attorney, is well known for his trial
skills and winning record. For a period of three years, Jason R.
Epstein won a not guilty in every felony case tried.
Mr.
Epstein's trial success begun at a very early age - six months BEFORE he
even attended law school. A feisty young man, Mr. Epstein was not willing
to plea to a 'following too close' traffic ticket received in San Antonio,
Texas. A jury was picked and the Chicago attorney to be presented his case.
The police were cross-examined, evidence presented. The citizens of
finding - hung jury. The Assistant District Attorney, after trial, stated
that it was the first trial he did not win.
Now in the
defense of others, the veteran Chicago criminal defense lawyer has won cases
not just by trial skills but by mastery of the process itself. Many
cases have been dismissed by merely filing a motion. The criminal defense
attorney, Mr. Epstein, won the dismissal of a burglary case for missing
evidence where the defendant was facing in excess of ten years in jail. The
client and his father could not have been happier when the judge uttered
those magic words-"motion to dismiss is sustained".
In a
barrage of success - Mr. Epstein obtained the dismissal of three felonies
and won a not guilty in a ten day period. Thirty days later another
motion to quash was granted and the evidence was thrown out.
The dismissals were obtained merely by negotiating with prosecutors and
pointing out the deficiencies in their cause. The threat of trial against
Mr. Epstein surely played well into the ultimate result.
That same week, in a case where the prosecution did not take such an
opportunity to dismiss the matter, the case was won by Mr. Epstein before it
was over. The Judge granted Mr. Epstein's motion for judgment of
acquittal. This occurred shortly after the testimony of the star
prosecution witness was thrown out on motion of Mr. Epstein.
Even
Mr. Epstein's fellow attorneys know where to turn. An attorney hired
Mr. Epstein to get the attorney out of a legal jam. Besides the
criminal process bearing down, the lawyer also had his license to practice
in the balance. The lawyer retained Mr. Epstein and after litigating a
hotly contested motion to quash arrest the evidence was thrown out.
Both the attorney and friend hugged Mr. Epstein on this pivotal win.
Eight felonies - One scared defendant
A very nice young lady found
herself with 8 felonies.. She skipped court and ran away for several years.
She needed to stop running. To get it over with. She expected to go to jail,
eight felonies and now bail jumping as well? She was sure she was doing
time. She sought out attorneys and then her friend, a former clerk in Cook
County suggested she call the wolf. More accurately she said call Epstein.
Negotiations began. Dismissal was discussed with the prosecutor as well as a
trial. In the end every felony was dismissed except one. A low grade felony.
She was going to make probation. Seemingly it was over. For whatever reason
the probation officer had filed a violation of probation after only one
month! Someone wasn't happy that she got such a good deal. Several months
later yet another violation of probation. She was back under the gun and
afraid or even sure she was going to jail. Two violations of probation on a
7 felony dismissal case? Jail time. She called Epstein again. Epstein lined
up the cavalry and rode into battle. The violation of probation was
dismissed. As if this wasnt enough, after only SIX months Epstein won the
termination of probation satisfactorily. She was free from the system.
Sometimes the big wins are not at trial but by negotiation and reputation.
Heroin
and Marijuana
Defendant is
facing a lenghty sentence. The prosecution is asked to reduce the
charges to just marijuana. Prosecution refuses. Trial starts. Cross
examination of every detail. Government rests their case - Directed finding
of not guilty as to ALL charges. Based only on the cross examination the
case is thrown out. No plea to pot. No plea to heroin. Defendant walks.
Burglary to a
Vehicle
Mr. Epstein
won a not guilty in a burglary to a vehicle trial. The client, at the time
of trial, was in jail. Now he is comfortably in his own home. At trial,
under cross examination the owner of the car lot admitted that it was
impossible to steal an engine mount with only hand tools.
Predatory Criminal
Sexual Assault of a Child
A man of
27 years of age had a girlfriend. His problem - his "other" girlfriend
found out. Shortly after this revelation the allegations are flying. The
cheating man is charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.
At trial the child allegedly tells her mother a horrible story. The mother
stops her daughter because she can hear no more of this incident, the
courtroom silence was deafening. The mother calls the police. The police
come ten minutes later. What do the police testify to? The mother never
told them the incident which she had just learned, five minutes earlier, she
never told them the incident which she had to stop her daughter from
completing. Needless to say, the child when asked, stated that her mother
teaches her the difference between lies and truth and she taught her such
difference that very morning. The defendant was facing life in prison and
now has a life of freedom thanks to Mr. Epstein's trial skills, quick wit
and oration ability.
Fraud - Forgery
A short
time later, an older gentlemen was charged with fraud and forgery. A
currency exchange claimed he cashed a fraudulent check with them. In the
end the real culprit, apparently the cashier, was revealed. The upstanding
individual was allowed to maintain his clean record. - Not Guilty
Possession of
Narcotics
An airline
worker, under great scrutiny because of September 11th, is charged with
possession of narcotics. Such a felony would have ended his long career
with the airlines and substantially changed his life. Mr. Epstein exposed
the police error and revealed 13 problems with the police reports. - Not
Guilty.
Attempted Murder-
The
defendant, a young man of 23 years of age, was wrongfully accused of
attempted murder. Mr. Epstein set the record straight. The prosecutor
attempted to force a witness to testify. Mr. Epstein's scathing cross
examination revealed who spoke the truth and who was lying. Defendant - Not
Guilty.
Predatory Criminal
Sexual Assault of a Child-
In yet
another case, a family rivalry coupled with a troubled teen resulted in a
young man being charged with two felonies - predatory criminal sexual
assault of a child and criminal sexual assault. Conviction on the two
felonies would have resulted in a life sentence. At trial, the
cross-examination of the fabricating witness was long and intense. Three
witnesses were called and three more were planned to be called in exposing
the fabrications woven by the troubled teen. Before all the defence
witnesses were called, before Jason R. Epstein was even done, the damage was
too much to overcome...Finding Not Guilty - both felonies.
Possession of
Narcotics
A young
man with two prior drug convictions was arrested with four pounds of
mushrooms. After reviewing the evidence, several court appearances and
intense negotiations, a deal was reached. One year in the Illinois
Department of Corrections.
Murder
A gang
member is charged with First Degree Murder. The possible sentence is 20 to
60 years. In First Degree Murder there is no good time. If you get 30
years, you do 30 years. The newspapers reported that a man is killed when
a partygoer is kicked out and returns to the party. Did he go to the
party? Yes he did. Was he kicked out of the party? No he was not. The
client went to the party to protect a man who had been kicked out of the
party. While there a fight breaks out and someone ends up dead. Jason
Epstein's client is charged with Murder. Motions were argued and tempers
flared. In the end, a few days before trial, negotiations plateau and the
prosecution agrees to drop the First Degree Murder Charges to Second Degree
Murder. The young man jumps at the opportunity to cut any possible sentence
in half.
Possession of a
Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver times FOUR
The
client was charged with two felonies for possession with intent to deliver.
Not Guilty - back to back in a row. Sure enough the police arrest the same
individual a short time later and "find" drugs on him. Within a couple
weeks of that the same police again "find" drugs on him and charge him with
yet another felony. The prosecution knowing they have a fight on their
hands dismisses one and gives probation which can be taken off of your
record for the other. A person charged with four felonies is unlikely to
have a clean record after all is said and done. However, he had Attorney
Epstein defending him.
Delivery of a
Controlled Substance
Chicago
Police claim to set up a surveillance. They approach the house and claim
to make a buy using marked funds. The next day they allegedly do the same.
The following day, again, they claim to make a buy using marked funds and
take a description of the person they say is selling drugs. The judge was a
former policeman. After intense cross-examination and arguments on behalf
of Mr. Epstein's client... you guessed it - Not Guilty.
Such success in
his practice is hardly surprising. In law school Mr. Epstein won first
place in a national court competition beating schools such as Yale and
Northwestern. On the debate team in college he won the second place speaker
in the state of Texas award. His debate team was in the top ten in
the nation. In 1999, he headed the Chicago Bar Association's Criminal Law
Committee. He served on a committee which reviews new laws before
they are enacted. You can read about a case which Mr. Epstein handled in
the July 2002 Chicago Magazine.
While a
winning record is important, communications is also a very important aspect
of the relationship with your attorney. Your attorney should take the time
to discuss your case and his or her plan of attack. Knowing where you
stand, in a difficult time of your life, is essential to effective
representation.
CONTACT:
 Office
312-869-2603
Comments or questions?
Send an email. Answers within a few hours - sometimes instantly.
Se Habla Espanol
THE TOUGH FIGHT
Hollywood and the newspapers paint a false picture of reality when it comes to people charged with crimes. The legal system far too often results in unjust results. Many movies and television shows exhibit a lawyer arguing insanity and the defendant walks free like a walk in the park. This is completely not the case in reality. Contrary to popular belief the scales of justice are tipped in favor of the prosecution. Persons charged with a crime must precede with great care and sound legal advice.
 Brilliant legal scholars, hundreds of years ago, recognized the potential for abuse and set forth standards to protect against irrational emotion and convictions based on nothing more than mere allegations. One of these protections is that the state must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Another is that all persons charged with an offense are presumed innocent. To accept anything less is to invite arbitrary rule and tyranny. Such protections against government overreaching is not surprising as the United States was founded by individuals pursued by an overreaching government. Such fundamental underpinnings are apparent even today in the Fourth Amendment prohibition on illegal searches and seizures.
DUTIES OF YOUR ATTORNEY
Your attorney is your adviser. Most, if not all, of the decisions in the case are made by the client. A good attorney will advise you of the possible outcomes and with you come to a conclusion. He or she will make recommendations. Your attorney owes you the highest duty, a fiduciary duty. This requirement means that he or she must put your interests as the most important interest.
Comments or questions?
Send an email. Answers within a few hours - sometimes instantly.
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