Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

Re: murder

You have provided few details with which to give you an answer. It would be useful to know if your son's sentence was the result of a trial or a plea agreement. If there was a trial there may be some issues that can still be raised. That is less likely with a plea agreement, although that can give rise to different claims. You need to find out more about the case and how your son came to be found guilty and sentenced. If you wish to talk about it, I can be reached at 630-243-0099.

Re: murder

Generally speaking, most people convicted and sentenced to prison terms do NOT do the entire length of time stated in their sentence. Most become eligilble for parole under the existing statutes and regulations long before that. Also, in many cases a prisoner is eligible for "good time" which may further reduce his sentence. In addition, many times the prisoner will be given credit for time served in custody awaiting trial. There are also special circumstances which on rare occasions may shorten the time served in some cases, such as the completion of drug classes, counseling, vocational training, or even higher education courses. There is even the possibility that a prisoner may receive an earlier parole due to some heroic action in a crisis while in custody such as saving a guard from attack by other inmates, or preventing an escape or even putting out a fire. Finally, in very rare cases (less rare most recently) some convicts receive pardons form the governor thereby winning their immediate release.