Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

Re: Should I hire an Attny for underage possession of alcohol citation?

The solicitation letter from that attorney was not a "scare tactic" it was just a pathetic attempt by some attorney who apparently does not have enough business to drag some money in. I do strongly believe that it would be wise to hire an attorney to represent your daughter and assure the avoidance of any conviction being entered on her criminal record if at all possible. In many cases this is a relatively easy goal to accomplish. I would advise you to avoid hiring attorneys who must resort to sending out such letters to people they don't know after reading the police blotters for leads. If those attorneys were any good, they wouldn't be shamelessly begging for your business. Good luck.

Re: Should I hire an Attny for underage possession of alcohol citation?

It depends on the nature of the charge against your daughter. There is a state violation which is a criminal misdemeanor. There are often offenses that are local ordninance violations that are not criminal offenses. The nature of your daughter's charges are important in the decision that you make. Additionally, there are many fine attorneys that do mail solicitations, since criminal defense work is a bit different than many other types of law. Regardless of the quality of work that is done, few people wish to tell others that they have had criminal arrest problems, and hence do not provide referrals to their friends. Mail solicitation indicates that the lawyer is interested in that type of work. You can only decide if you are comfortable with the lawyer after you interview him. If you wish a free consultation with our office, feel free to reply to this e-mail.