Deferred Prosecution Programs

If you have been charged with a criminal offense, you know how terrifying it can be. This is especially true if you have never been arrested before. Not only can it affect your freedom, but it can also impact your ability to obtain employment, gain admittance to schools and even keep you from obtaining housing.

However, many first-time offenders may be eligible for the Cook County States Attorney’s Deferred Prosecution Programs. Deferred prosecution is exactly what it sounds like. These programs are set up as alternatives to criminal prosecution and if completed satisfactorily, will result in the charges eventually being dismissed. Even if this is the case, you will still need to have a criminal lawyer file a Petition to Expunge your record, otherwise the arrest and dismissal will remain on your criminal background forever.

Chicago criminal lawyer David L. Freidberg has over 25 years of experience handling criminal matters and as such has a long-standing relationship with the States Attorney’s Office, often resulting in his clients being placed in one of these programs. Without cultivating these relationships, defendants are not always offered the diversionary programs. Again, once the program is successfully completed, his clients walk away with no prosecution and a dismissal of all charges.

Not all crimes are eligible for deferred prosecution. The majority of eligible crimes are misdemeanors, although in some cases these programs are offered for a felony charge. The deferred prosecution program is offered for a variety of charges. Some of these include Retail Theft (720 ILCS 5/16-25), Possession of a Controlled Substance (720 ILCS 570/402), Prostitution (720 ILCS 5/11-14), and Solicitation (720 ILCS 5/11-14.1).

These programs can prove invaluable for those charged with these types of Chicago crimes as they allow you to avoid criminal prosecution and a possible conviction which can affect your criminal background. The programs generally provide the defendant with three to four months to complete the programs, thus allowing them the flexibility to continue working and taking care of their families. Many of these programs also allow those charged to complete the programs on the weekends.

The States Attorney’s Office has changed over recent years and has become more opposed to offering these deferred programs than in the past. For instance, at some of the branch courts they limit how old someone can be to participate in the Theft School Program, even if the person accused has never been arrested before. This is precisely why you need to retain the services of an experienced criminal defense lawyer that has cultivated relationships with the prosecutors and can often convince them to offer the deferred prosecution program. David L. Freidberg is a Chicago criminal defense attorney with over 25 years of experience in dealing with the prosecutors and has given thousands of clients a new start by getting them into these programs and avoiding the negative effects of a criminal background.

Do not wait; contact Chicago Deferred Prosecution Attorney David L. Freidberg for more information about these programs and the various defenses applicable to your case. Remember, the initial consultation is free. To schedule your free consultation contact attorney David L. Freidberg 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 312-560-7100.