Criminal Defense Case Results
***Please note that Mr. Patel has handled thousands of criminal defense law cases. Attorney Patel has handled cases all over the State of Illinois defending and trying all types of cases, including drug charges, sex and weapons offenses, traffic and DUI cases, and murder. Neil has refined all this experience into a successful approach – treat the case like someone’s life is on the line, because for the client, in their mind, their life is at stake, no matter what the charge is. Any lawyer can say that they did this and they did that. Please have them back it up – we are more than glad to. Please read some of our case results below***
People v. J.V. – January 2022
Client was charged with possessing over 2 ounces of a very deadly opiate and was charged with a Class X Felony where enhancements made the minimum sentence 9 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. After reviewing the matter, gathering mitigation material from the client’s family and friends, and pointing out possible weaknesses in the State’s case, Attorney Patel was able to secure an offer to a reduced Class 4 Possession charge. Based on time spent in custody along with credit available from the Deptartment of Corrections, the client is looking at only 2 more months in custody.
2 Cars Returned in Will County Forfeiture Cases – January 2022
The Joliet Police and Will County Sheriff’s Police Department seized two cars belonging to clients of Neil Patel. The car seized by the Joliet Police was returned within two weeks of seizure based upon arguments that the State failed to show any crime occurring using the vehicle. The vehicle taken by the Sheriff’s was returned after 4 weeks based upon a hardship to the owner, as it was her only car at the time, and the matter was eventually won at trial based upon the State’s failure to prove that the owner knew or had reason to know that the driver was using the car in violation of the law.
People v. I.A. – December 2021 (CASES DISMISSED)
Theft – Channahon – Will County
Client was accused of stealing over $2,000 worth of merchandise from their employer over time. The State only had evidence of one alleged theft and poor record keeping and inventory tracking. Case was dismissed following a lack of evidence supporting any theft!
People v. M.A – December 2021 (CASES DISMISSED)
DUI & Resisting – Crest Hill – Will County
Client was arrested for DUI Alcohol and Resisting Arrest. Case was dismissed based upon a lack of evidence of either charge!
People v. J.Y. – December 2021
Felony DUI Alcohol – Bolingbrook – Will County
Client was stopped in a parking lot by Bolingbrook Police Officers based upon a dispatch that he was driving and acting suspiciously. No complaint was made about his actual driving or his ability to drive. Following a traffic stop and a DUI investigation which included failing field sobriety testing, slurred, confused speech, and beer in the car, the Defendant was arrested and eventually charged with a Class 1 non-probationable DUI.
Mr. Patel demonstrated that the lack of bad driving, absence of any evidence corroborating suspicious behavior, poor video where 50% of the audio was missing, and an overall lack of reliability in field sobriety testing where even the officer was speaking to the client in both English and Spanish, that there was insufficient evidence to support guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The Court agreed and acquitted the Defendant of all charges saving him 4 to 15 years in prison.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI and no prison sentence!
People v. H.A. – November 2021
DUI Alcohol – ISP Arrest on I-55 – Will County
Client was accused of Street Racing, Aggravated Speeding and DUI Alcohol. He was pulled over by the Illinois State Police who claimed he was drag racing another car and speeding over twice the limit on the expressway. The matter turned into a DUI investigation, where the client admitted to drinking a couple of beers, failed sobriety testing, a submitted a roadside breath test that was twice the legal limit. The Client is a CDL holder.
Mr. Patel demonstrated that speeding, even twice the limit, isn’t a strong clue of impairment and that the client’s behavior was otherwise appropriate and indicated that he was acting with ordinary care. His performance on the testing amounted to technical failures, which should not be given great weight. The roadside breath test and the dialogue about it was inadmissible.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI and no further harm to the CDL.
People v. R.T. – November 2021
DUI Alcohol – Shorewood – Will County
Client was parked on the side of the road. An officer found this to be suspicious but claimed that he was concerned for the driver’s wellbeing and was “community caretaking”. The client lied about their identity, failed their sobriety tests and submitted to chemical testing. The BAC at the station was a .13.
Following an extensive motion practice, the Court agree with Mr. Patel that the officer was not acting as a community caretaker and that he lacked the reasonable suspicion needed to seize the car. All evidence following the officer’s approach to the car was suppressed. The net result was there was 0 evidence for the State and the case was dismissed. This was the client’s 2nd DUI – a mandatory conviction if they were found guilty and the result would have included a loss of driving privileges.
Result: Case dismissed based upon 0 available evidence, no permanent revocation of driver’s license.
People v. C.R. – October 2021
DUI Alcohol – Joliet – Will County
Client, who had prior DUI, was arrested by the Joliet Police and charged with DUI Alcohol. He committed several traffic violations, did not stop when the officer turned on his squad lights, gave inconsistent statements regarding how much he drank, and did horrible on his field sobriety testing.
Following a bench trial, Mr. Patel pointed out that the traffic violations were technical and took place over the course of 1 mile of driving. Additionally, almost none of the case was captured on audio and video, and that the client took his time to stop for the officer so that he could pull into a well-lit parking lot outside the flow of traffic. This fact was captured in the officer’s report. Aside from the poor testing, the driving and the rest of the evidence was not enough to convince the judge the client was guilty.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI, No permanent loss of Driver’s License.
People v. J.S. – October 2021
Civil Asset Forfeiture / Vehicle Seizure – Joliet – Will County
Client’s car was seized by the Will County Sheriff’s for Asset Forfeiture. The driver of the vehicle had permission to use the car. The driver was pulled over and told he had an active warrant for his arrest. At the time of his arrest, he had drugs in the car. Client was not aware of the warrant or the illegal drug possession.
The client was the register owner and was the one who paid for the car. Any unlawful activity took place without the client’s knowledge or consent. Mr. Patel argued an exception to the Illinois Drug Asset Forfeiture Act where if the owner proves they did not know or have reason to now about the unlawful activity, the car would be returned to them. Attorney Patel was successful on behalf of the Client and the vehicle was returned.
Result: No forfeiture of the vehicle and return of the car to the owner.
People v. J.B. – September 2021
DUI Alcohol – Grundy County
Client was speeding 20 miles over the limit was pulled over in bar parking lot. Officers observed bloodshot glassy eyes, open alcohol in the car, an odor of alcohol emitting from his breath, and he had confused speech patterns. He refused to exit the vehicle. The officers had to use pepper spray to get him to exit the vehicle. He was arrested for DUI and Obstructing a Peace Officer.
Result: DUI Charges dismissed, no summary suspension of the driver’s license.
People v. O.H – September 2021
CDL Violation – Crete – Will County
Landscaper charged in Will County with not having a CDL while driving a pickup truck with a trailer attached. The trailer was hauling his landscaping equipment. Office claimed that the lighting wasn’t working on the trailer. Video and photographic evidence showed otherwise.
Result – Case dismissed on the first court date.
People v. R.F. – August 2021
DUI Alcohol – ISP Arrest on I-80 – Will County
Client with a prior DUI was charged with DUI in Will County. He had a valid FOID and CCL. At the time of the arrest, he had a loaded firearm and was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm in violation of his CCL. He failed his field sobriety testing, admitted to drinking, and was accused of failing to stop for the officer.
The result following a bench trial was not guilty of the DUI. Based on the failure to prove that the Defendant was under the influence of alcohol, the Defendant was found not guilty of unlawfully possessing the firearm. The firearm was later return to the client’s agent.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI, No permanent loss of Driver’s License, return of the firearm.
People v. H.R. – August 2021
DUI Summary Suspension – Oswego- Kendall County
DUI Summary Suspension – Client was arrested for a Cannabis-based DUI in Kendall County by the Oswego Police Department. During the arrest, client refused roadside sobriety testing along with chemical testing at the station. This result in suspension of her license for two separate reasons.
Mr. Patel filed a timely motion to undo the suspension. The State failed to set the matter for hearing until the final day where he pointed to the Court that the officer failed to comply with the proper requirements to suspend a license. The Court agreed and the suspension was rescinded.
Result: Driving privileges were restored and no loss of driving privileges.
People v. J.R. – August 2021
Cannabis Possession – Illinois State Police (I-80) – Will County
Cannabis Possession – Client charged with unlawfully possessing cannabis. Case was dismissed due to the State’s failure to secure proper evidence for trial.
Result: Case Dismissed and now eligible for expungement.
People v. C.W – July 2021
DUI Drugs – Homer Glen – Will County
Client allegedly drove away from the scene of an accident. He drove to a random house and began knocking on the door, scaring the homeowner. The Will County Sheriff’s Police Department were called and conducted a DUI investigation. The client admitted to consuming multiple prescriptions, failed field sobriety testing, and appeared disoriented and distracted through his encounter with the officers.
At trial, Mr. Patel argued there was a lack of evidence regarding the effect of the consumed prescriptions, no evidence of the client’s actual driving or physical control of a motor vehicle, and no evidence regarding bad driving or an actual accident occuring.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI.
People v. M.P. – July 2021
DUI Alcohol – Joliet – Will County
Client, who had a prior DUI, was driving down Jefferson Street in Joliet. He was accused of weaving across the road and trying to turn into closed businesses. He admitted to drinking and had empty cans of beer in his car. He failed his field sobriety testing and was arrested by the Joliet Police Department.
Client was found not guilty after trial based in part on sound trial strategy to not question the Joliet Police officers that arrested him about certain areas that the prosecutor failed to ask about. This resulted in a lack of evidence for the judge to rule on and a not guilty for the client. Had the judge not agreed with the trial strategy, Mr. Patel still would have been able to examine the officers by calling them as witnesses in the Defendant’s case.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI, No permanent loss of Driver’s License.
People v. G.Z. – July 2021
DUI Summary Suspension – Joliet- Will County
Client was arrested for a DUI by the Joliet Police Department. As part of his DUI arrest, his driver’s license was suspended. Mr. Patel filed a timely motion to undo the suspension. The State failed to act in the required 30 days to conduct a hearing regarding the suspension.
Result: Driving privileges were restored and no loss of driving privileges.
People v. A.L. – June 2021
DUI Alcohol – Bolingbrook – Will County
Client, who had a prior DUI, was arrested for DUI by the Bolingbrook Police Department. He had parked his car in the driveway of a homeowner who did not know him. He was asleep behind the wheel and had a half empty bottle of hard alcohol in the car. Client stated he was at the home trying to pick someone up, despite being at the wrong address. Before and after arrest, the client was very disrespectful with the officers, including using vulgarities and racist terms.
Mr. Patel argued there was no bad driving, no evidence impaired behavior save the poor treatment of the officers, and the best evidence of a DUI case was missing – no audio or video of the arrest.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI, No permanent loss of Driver’s License.
People v. M.G. – June 2021
DUI Alcohol – Crete – Will County
Client with a prior DUI allegedly jumped a curb and crashed his car causing major damage. Following his admission to drinking several shots and just leaving a strip club, the client admitted to driving several miles on a flat tire. He was arrested by the Crete Police Department for DUI.
Following a trial, Mr. Patel argued that the State failed to secure key witnesses to client actually operating the motor vehicle, the failure to video record most of the interactions with the client resulted in a lack of evidence, and the inconsistencies with the officers’ testimony equaled reasonable doubt.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI, No permanent loss of Driver’s License.
People v. Z.T. – June 2021
Traffic Accident Ticket – Failure to Yield While Turning – Bolingbrook – Will County
Client was given a ticket for causing an accident for turning left into oncoming traffic by the Bolingbrook Police Department. Following trial, Mr. Patel argued that the State’s victim / witness testified to a completely inconsistent scene and account of the accident compared to the one that was laid out by the officer. The client maintained her 5th Amendment rights and remained silent and did not testify. The Court found my client not guilty due to the completely inconsistent testimony.
Result: Not Guilty of any traffic tickets.
People v. A.H. – March 2021
DUI Alcohol – Grundy County
Client was driving in a residential area. While turning, he sideswiped a parked car. Officers from the Grundy County Sheriff’s Police Department were dispatched and claimed that the Defendant was acting in an intoxicated, erratic manner. He admitted to driving too fast for the conditions and told the officers he was leaving a bar prior the accident. Client was arrested and charged with DUI.
Following trial, Mr. Patel pointed out how the client never admitted to drinking and the officers didn’t even smell alcohol coming from the client. The judge was in disbelief that the client was arrested for DUI Alcohol and directed the matter out, finding the client not guilty.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI.
People v. J.D. – November 2020
Possession of Child Pornography – Joliet – Will County
Client was charged with several counts of possession child pornography. Joliet Police and Will County Investigators obtained search warrants for his home and computers and phone were taken from the home. The Client gave incriminating statements. The Client was initially offered probation, but this carried a lifelong sex-offender registration penalty, and the client wanted to get a better outcome.
Mr. Patel conducted a vigorous review of the case. He recognized that the client’s statement was the result of an unlawful seizure of the client – Joliet officers pulled him over without reasonable suspicion or probable cause and exploited the search warrant, which didn’t name him, and exploited the search warrant to get him to make statement. This meant the statements were subject to suppression. The warrants used to search the home utilized speculative technology from an agency that was not run by law enforcement, but by a third-party, which would have required the State to disclose evidence about that source. Finally, the State’s lead investigator used methods to investigate the case which were misleading and deceitful. Mr. Patel exploited all these weaknesses to get a counter-offer from the State.
Result: Felony reduced to a sealable misdemeanor, no sex offender registration, no probation and no lifelong felony conviction.
People v. J.T. – September 2020
Domestic Battery – New Lenox – Will County
Domestic Battery – Ex-husband in a bitter custody battle against his ex-wife was charged with battering his son. His ex-wife reported to the New Lenox Police Department that the client abused their son during visitation.
During a bench trial, Mr. Patel demonstrated that the minor was about to attack his younger brother and the client was protecting his son and engaging in reasonable discipline of a child.
Result – Not Guilty of all Counts of Domestic Battery and no loss of custody rights.
People v. D.D. – September 2020
DUI Alcohol – Joliet – Will County
Client, who had a prior DUI, was driving erratically in Joliet. Client had empty containers of alcohol in the car along with unopened containers. Client admitted to drinking the open containers while at work, which was pointed out during cross-examination to have been almost 7 hours prior to driving. The Client failed field sobriety testing and exhibited very emotional behavior that the Will County Deputies interpreted as intoxicated.
During the arrest video, Mr. Patel pointed out that on two separate occasions, prior to cuffing the Defendant, the officer deliberately turned off their microphones and continued to speak to the Defendant for several minutes apiece. This inappropriate action cast extreme doubt on the entire interaction the officers had with the Client which resulted in an immediate not guilty finding. The summary suspension was also defeated based on the failure to comply with standard procedures.
Result: Not guilty of DUI, no permanent revocation of driver’s license, and no suspension of driver’s license.
People v. A.A. – August 2020
DUI Cannabis – Joliet – Will County
Client is observed by Will County Sheriff’s Deputies weaving across the road several times. He is pulled over and deputies smell a strong odor of cannabis. They locate cannabis in the car and the client admitted to filling a “hitter bat” three times and smoking it since leaving work. Client failed all field sobriety testing.
Mr. Patel highlighted the age of the client along with the extreme physical nature of his work and the failure of the officers to establish exact time cannabis was last smoked – specifically when the client left work. Mr. Patel further established that sobriety testing is not as reliable when dealing with subjects who are older and that the testing has not been standardized for cannabis.
Result – Not Guilty of DUI.
People v. N.F. – June 2020
DUI Alcohol – Lockport – Will County
Client was speeding 20 miles over the limit and was pulled over. He admitted to drinking. Client continuously refused to exit the vehicle follow lawful commands by the Lockport Police Officer to exit the vehicle. Mr. Patel vigorously argued that the client’s actions were not that of an impaired driver, but one standing up for his rights.
Result: Not guilty of DUI, not guilty of Obstructing a Peace Office, no suspension of driver’s license, and entire case was expunged within 7 months of the arrest.
People v. J.V. – October 2019
DUI Drugs – Braidwood / Wilmington – Will County
Client picked up two drug-based DUIs within 3 weeks of each other. Both cases had similar facts. Officers from Braidwood and Wilmington described the client’s car as driving all over the road. Following a traffic stop, the client was described to have slow movement, droopy eye lids, and being disoriented. One officer described that the client was “on the nod.” The client failed sobriety testing in both cases.
In both cases, Mr. Patel argued that despite the observations of the officers, the lack of training and experience did not make them appropriate witnesses to say that the client was intoxicated due to drug consumption. No drugs were found in the car, the client never admitted to consuming any lawful or unlawful substances, and there was no chemical testing. The mere fact that a person appears to be intoxicated does not absolve the State of its duty to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that drugs, including which drugs, are the cause of that.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI Drugs – both cases, no loss of driving privileges.
People v. M.R. – July 2019
DUI Alcohol – Wilmington – Will County
Client, who had a prior DUI, was arrested by the Will County Sheriff’s in Wilmington for DUI Alcohol. The Deputy testified to traffic violations, failure of sobriety testing, slurred speech, bloodshot glassy eyes, and a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the vehicle. Client was arrested and refused testing at the station.
Mr. Patel argued that the traffic violations were minor and that the language barrier made the sobriety test results inconclusive. Patel further argued that the video showed the client acting with ordinary care.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI, No permanent loss of Driver’s License.
People v. A.S. – June 2019
Telephone Harassment – Bensenville – DuPage County
Client who was involved in business dispute with a vendor was accused of harassment by telephone in DuPage County. Following a bench trial, the matter was directed out, resulting in a Not Guilty because the State failed to introduce any evidence that it was the client who made any phone calls or statements at all, let alone statements that were harassing to the point of being illegal, as opposed to being protected under the First Amendment based in part on the business disagreement.
Result – Not Guilty following a trial
People v. W.B. – April 2019
Felony Driving While License Revoked – Steger – Will County
Client was charged with a non-probationable felony for Driving While License Revoked. The basis for the stop was that the registration plate (license plate) was not properly illuminated. Mr. Patel sent an investigator within 2 days of the arrest to take photos of the car which clearly showed that all lighting on the car worked properly. A Motion to Suppress Evidence was filed and granted.
Result: All evidence suppressed, case dismissed, no prison sentence.
People v. J.F. – April 2019
DUI Alcohol – Joliet – Will County
Client was kicked out of a casino for allegedly being intoxicated. The casino called the Joliet Police Department and the Client was quickly stopped after a minor traffic violation. Client admitted to drinking and had mumbled speech. He failed his sobriety testing and appeared to be very confused to the Joliet Police Officer.
Mr. Patel first challenged the suspension of the driver’s license. This challenge was successful based upon no reasonable grounds to stop the vehicle. Next, Mr. Patel filed a Motion to Suppress based on the same issue, but the Court denied it, having found new case law which supported the stop. The matter proceeded to a bench trial where Mr. Patel argued that the officer ignored key details that a prudent officer would have investigated, instead of just assuming intoxication. The confused and mumbled speech was a result of the client having hearing loss because of a life-threatening injury he sustained two years earlier. The poor performance on the sobriety testing was a result of the extreme cold and the age of the client. Attorney Patel utilized expert testimony to show the impact the injuries would have had on a person in taking these tests. The Court was impressed with Defense efforts and acquitted the Client.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI, no suspension of driver’s license.
People v. G.C. – March 2018
Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault – Bloomington / Normal – McClean County
Client, a 19-year-old African American man was accused along with two other co-defendants of a 3-on-1 sexual assault of a 17-year-old Caucasian girl. The co-defendant’s both pled guilty and took deals resulting in jail and prison sentences along with life-long sex-offender registration. Client proceeded to jury trial where the alleged victim’s repeated lies were continuously exposed upon cross examination. The jury was out almost 2 days, reviewing DNA evidence and video-taped statements of the Defendant and returned with a not guilty on all charges.
Result: Not Guilty of All Charges, avoids life long sex offender registration and a 8 – 30 year prison sentence at 85%.
People v. R.C. – October 2017
DUI Alcohol – Bolingbrook – Will County
Client was stopped for speeding 76 mph in a 45, which is considered aggravated speeding in Illinois. He smelled like he had been drinking and was ‘unsure’ of his location. He refused all sobriety testing but admitted to drinking 2 beers.
Mr. Patel challenged the suspension based upon the fact that the Bolingbrook Police officers had no reasonable grounds to arrest for DUI. Following a hearing, the Court tossed out the summary suspension of the license for his refusal to blow at the station, saving the license. The matter proceeded to bench trial where Mr. Patel argued that speeding has never been considered evidence of impaired driving and the refusal of testing doesn’t mean anything in a country when people are innocent until proven guilty. The Court agreed.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI Alcohol, no 1-year suspension of the driver’s license.
People v. D.P. – September 2017
Felony DUI Alcohol – Joliet – Will County
Client was charged with Felony DUI. He was also facing a 3-year summary suspension of his driver’s license. He was found by the Joliet Police, allegedly asleep behind the wheel of his car, with is foot and the gas. The officers claimed that he had soiled himself and when his speech was garbled. He refused field sobriety tests, but the officers claimed he fell over several times during their encounter with him.
Mr. Patel was able to get the 3-year summary suspension thrown out because the State failed to hold a hearing within the time limits set by Illinois Statute. Following that, Mr. Patel was able to successfully negotiate the matter down to a Reckless Driving offense, avoiding a felony and a DUI conviction, keeping the client’s license intake.
Result: Felony reduced to a misdemeanor, no felony conviction, no 2nd DUI on his record, no loss of driving privileges.
People v. D.G – November 2016
DUI Alcohol – ISP Arrest on I-80 – Will County
Client was stopped for speeding 90 mph in a 45, which is considered aggravated speeding in Illinois. He smelled like he had been drinking and was slurring his speech. He failed his sobriety testing and refused other chemical testing on scene and at the station. Client has prior DUI arrest 3 years earlier but beat the case. However, the refusal to test resulted in a 3-year suspension of his driver’s license.
Mr. Patel challenged the suspension based on no reasonable grounds to arrest for DUI and other failures by the Illinois State Police Trooper to follow proper procedures. Following a hearing, the Court granted the Petition to Rescind and tossed the summary suspension of the license, saving the license. The matter proceeded to bench trial where Mr. Patel argued that speeding has never been considered evidence of impaired driving and the sobriety testing was not poor enough to show impairment. The Court agreed.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI Alcohol, no 3-year suspension of the driver’s license
People v. M.L. – June 2016
Felony Possession of Cannabis – Will County
Client was charged with felonies for Possession of Cannabis and Possession with Intent to Deliver. Client had chronic health issues. Mr. Patel presented excellent mitigation and obtained an offer to reduce the matter to a misdemeanor for supervision.
Result: Felony reduced to misdemeanor, no conviction enters.
People v. D.B. – May 2016
Felony DUI Alcohol – Illinois State Police – I-57 – Will County
Client was speeding in a construction zone and was stopped by the Illinois State Police. The Illinois State Police Trooper observed signs of alcohol consumption and requested sobriety testing. Client failed testing and had poor balance through the encounter.
Client was arrested and charged with a Felony 4th time DUI offense, where the mandatory punishment if convicted was 3 – 7 years in prison. At trial, Mr. Patel argued that there was no bad driving, that the sobriety testing was inconclusive and improperly administered, and that any balance issues were the result of a prior injury that the Client told the officer about. The Court agreed with the Defense and found the Defendant not guilty of DUI Alcohol.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI, no prison sentence.
People v. D.K. – May 2016
Felony DUI Alcohol – Naperville – Will County
Client was pulled over by the Naperville Police Department for speeding 30 miles over the posted limit. He admitted to drinking but was arrested for the misdemeanor speeding offense and taken to the police station. During his arrest and transport to the station, he was very rude to the officers and used profanity when speaking to them. At the station, the officer had him take field sobriety tests, which he failed, and he refused to take chemical testing. Because he didn’t have a valid Driver’s license, he was charged with Felony DUI.
At trial, Mr. Patel argued that the DUI charge was simply retaliation by the police for the client’s poor treatment of the officer. The office’s failure to follow police protocol, which would have been to conduct a DUI investigation at the time of the traffic stop, carried a strong suggestion that officer did not truly believe that the client was intoxicated. Besides that, Patel argued that it was just a poor DUI. Speeding is a terrible indicator of intoxication and the Defendant attitude was more explained by being arrested for speeding, not by being drunk.
Result: Not Guilty of DUI, no permanent loss of Driver’s License, no felony conviction.
People v. L.O. – April 2016
Domestic Battery – Joliet – Will County
Ex-husband was accused of battering his ex-wife, who claimed he threw a shoe at her, causing a bruise. The State called his 13-year-old daughter as a witness against him. Client testified and denied such an act.
Matter proceeded to a JURY TRIAL based in part on inconsistences between the alleged victim and his daughter and her admissions that she was a hemophiliac and could cause bruises simply by pressing on her skin.
Result – Not Guilty of all counts of Domestic Battery.
People v. J.C. – March 2016
DUI Alcohol – Joliet – Will County
Client, who had a prior DUI, was in a car accident. Joliet officers made observations consistent with alcohol consumption. Client admitted to consuming 3-4 beers. He failed sobriety testing.
Mr. Patel argued that the accident was not his fault and the extreme language barrier made sobriety testing essentially worthless. The State failed to secure key evidence for trial showing that the Client was at fault for the accident.
Result: Not guilty of DUI, no permanent revocation of driver’s license
People v. J.S. – February 2016
Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver / Drugs / Cocaine – Elwood – Will County
Client was pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Officer, following a typical playbook for a drug enforcement stop, tells the client to sit in his squad car while he deals with the traffic stop. Following the issuance of a warning ticket, the officer uses the coercive atmosphere and the threat of a K9 to obtain consent to search the car. Officers from the Elwood Police Department find over 100 grams of cocaine.
Attorney Patel files a Motion to Suppress Evidence which argues that the officer’s attempt to obtain consent in this manner violates the Client’s 4th Amendment rights. Based on the strength of the Motion, the State offered to reduce the non-probationable felony, where the Client was facing 9-45 years in prison at 75% to a probationable, sealable felony.
Result: Probation, no jail or prison time, case can now be sealed.
People v. B.H. – January 2015
Possession of a Controlled Substance / Drugs / Cocaine – Joliet – Will County
Client was arrested following a bar brawl. While in the squad car, the Joliet Police officers were processing the client for an ordinance violation. He was released on the violation. The officer’s claimed that following his release, they discovered a small package of drugs in the cushion in the squad car where he was seated.
Even though the client received a very favorable offer prior to trial, he proceeded to a Jury Trial. During trial, Mr. Patel argued that his client was searched prior to being placed in the squad car and was handcuffed while being processed on the violation. While in the squad car, the officers did not observe him moving around or making any gestures that would suggest he was trying to ditch drugs. The State tried to argue that the officers likely missed the small amount of drugs that he was carrying when the searched him, which led to the argument that it was equally possible they missed the drugs when cleaning out their squad. The Jury was out for 10 minutes.
Result: Not Guilty, no felony conviction, case is expungable.
People v. S.T. – January 2014
Felony Drug/Cannabis Violation 500 -2000 grams – Manhattan – Will County
Client’s home was searched following a search warrant and a large quantity of cannabis was found. Following a motion to suppress the search, the Court agreed with Mr. Patel that the search warrant failed to include key information that was required for a warrant to be valid. Based upon this failure, all evidence discovered was suppressed and without any evidence.
Result – Case Dismissed based on complete suppression of evidence
