Will County Homicide Defense Lawyer

Defense Attorney for Murder and Manslaughter Cases in Joliet, Kane County and Kendall County

If you or a loved one has been charged with homicide, you are facing profound, life-altering consequences. First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Even an accidental death, perhaps stemming from drug use or reckless driving, can mean imprisonment for ten years or more.

The most important decision of your life is going to be your choice of a defense attorney. Your lawyer's job is to build a wall of protection around you, brick by brick. Each brick is a legal tactic, such as identifying police violations of your civil rights, suppressing evidence that was illegally obtained by the police, and hiring expert witnesses to counter the prosecutor's claims. The more experience your defense attorney has with murder cases, the stronger the wall they will be able to construct in your defense.

When your long-term freedom is at risk, you need a razor-sharp attorney who has frequently and successfully handled such high-stakes cases. Kristine Honiotes of Honiotes Law Office, Ltd has been a trial lawyer for over 14 years and focused exclusively on felony defense cases for over nine years in the Will County Public Defender's Office. She has handled numerous first-degree murder cases involving complex circumstances such as murder by arson (involuntary confession suppressed), shootings claimed to be in self-defense, murder by stabbing attributed to mental illness, and murder involving two defendants.

Where some lawyers prefer to seem intimidating with high-pressure talk and legal jargon, you will find Attorney Honiotes to be a straight-shooter who treats everyone with courtesy and respect. Honiotes devotes all her energy and intelligence to get positive results for her clients.

Murder, Homicide, and Manslaughter in Illinois

You can rely on Honiotes Law to be a forceful advocate for you or a loved one when charged with any of the following crimes, listed in order of severity:

First-degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9-1) occurs when someone acts with the intent to kill or do great bodily harm to another person without lawful justification, or when someone causes the death of another person while in the process of committing a forcible felony such as robbery. Penalty: As the most serious crime under Illinois law, the penalty is mandatory imprisonment for 20 years to life, depending on various aggravating and mitigating factors.

Drug-induced homicide (720 ILCS 5/9-3.3) occurs when someone sells or delivers drugs such as heroin or fentanyl to a person who dies as a result of consuming the drugs. Penalty: As a class X felony, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of 6 years in prison with a maximum of 30 years, which can be extended to a maximum of 60 years for repeat offenders or when other aggravating factors exist.

Second-degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9-2), previously known as voluntary manslaughter, occurs when someone acts with the intent to kill or do great bodily harm to another person without lawful justification, but does so "under sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation," or under the belief that their actions constitute justifiable use of force in defense of self or others and such belief is later found to be unreasonable. Penalty: As a class 1 felony, the sentence may include 4 to 20 years in prison, but there is a possibility of probation only.

Involuntary manslaughter (720 ILCS 5/9-3) occurs when someone unintentionally kills another person as a result of reckless acts not involving a vehicle. Penalty: As a class 3 felony, the penalty can include two to five years in prison. However, if the victim was a family or household member as defined under Illinois' domestic violence law, the crime can be elevated to a class 2 felony with the possibility of 3 to 14 years in prison.

Reckless homicide (720 ILCS 5/9-3) occurs when someone unintentionally kills another person by the reckless operation of a motor vehicle, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or watercraft. Penalty: As a class 3 felony, this crime is punishable by a prison sentence of two to five years. Under some circumstances, the charge may be elevated to a class 2 felony with the possibility of 3 to 14 years in prison.

Defense Lawyer for Murder and Accidental Death in Bolingbrook

If you have been charged with killing another person, trust your case to Honiotes Law Office, Ltd. Contact our Joliet office at 815-409-7833 for a free initial consultation. We handle cases in DuPage County, Grundy County, Kane County, Kendall County, and Will County including the cities of Joliet, Lockport, Plainfield, and Romeoville.