Just because you were convicted of a crime doesn’t mean that your conviction must forever haunt employment background checks, stop you from becoming a U.S. citizen or remain a deportation threat.
There is no reason to let a youthful mistake, misunderstanding, past criminal record—or especially a criminal identity theft—be a barrier to future opportunities. Many options of post-conviction relief are available to help you, even after you have served time, finished probation, or paid your fines. Relief is critical for clearing the records of victims of criminal identity theft.
Through post-conviction proceedings, the Law Offices of Jonathan Minkus can attempt to lessen the negative consequences of having been convicted of a crime. Your background may be used against you in rental matters, employment and education opportunities, by Immigration and Naturalization—and even socially.
There are currently 10 states in which the recreational use of marijuana is legal. Unfortunately, Illinois is not one of them. Furthermore, there are numerous other drugs that are trafficked throughout the country that are unlikely to see legalization.
Even in states where the recreational use of marijuana is permitted, the federal government still prohibits the manufacture, sale, and possession of the drug. It only takes one call from the president to clamp down on its use and those states would be powerless to stop seizures. The DEA, however, has better things to do at the moment, so that has not happened.
It remains true, however, that Illinois police will seize and charge individuals even for marijuana possession.
If you have been charged under federal or Illinois law, you will need a seasoned defense attorney to help you beat the charges. Contact the Law Offices of Jonathan Minkus and we can help build your defense today.
Typically, states operate under a hierarchy of penalties. The more deadly the drug is, the higher the penalty for possessing it. Additionally, there are two types of possession – actual and constructive. Constructive possession occurs when the drug is not found on your person or property but in a place over which you exercise control. A skilled Wheeling drug possession attorney can help you plead the charges down or get them thrown out.
In cases where the quantity of drugs is greater than one person can logistically use, the prosecution may infer the intent to sell. In many cases, a good drug attorney can get these charges reduced to possession.
If you are caught with the equipment necessary to manufacture or grow drugs on your property, you can be charged with manufacturing. Typically, this will require a police officer to execute a search warrant. In some cases, police officers may overstep their boundaries under the law. If this is the case and they entered your property illegally, a good drug attorney will be able to get those charges tossed out.
If you are charged with drug distribution, that means that police have either witnessed the sale of the drug or have set you up. Otherwise, they must charge you with the intent to distribute. Trafficking, on the other hand, means that you have brought the drugs into the state from another state. These are the most vigorously prosecuted drug crimes in Illinois.
If you have been charged with a drug crime, the attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan Minkus can help. Contact our law firm by phone or online and we can begin discussing your options.
I am forever grateful for Jonathan Minkus and his assistance with my clemency petition. I found myself in an exceptionally troubling situation in which my legal status in the US was in jeopardy due to my criminal record. Per the advice of my immigration attorney, I engaged Mr. Minkus’s services in the hopes that he might be able to assist with a clemency petition. Mr....
My wife and I have tried 3 times for her green card and was rejected three times because of some trouble she was accused of before she spoke English. I asked another Lawyer is there anything we can do and she referred us to Jonathan Minkus. We meet with Jonathan and said he might be able to help us but it would be difficult. Jonathan...
Jonathan helped me to vacate two of charges against me, and both of them are successfully vacated. I had a very good experience working with Jonathan and he is a very kind person and very considerate. I would like to highly recommend someone that has same situation as me to go get help form Jonathan.
For 6 years my wife and I tried to receive our Green Card. After being declined 3 times, I asked our immigration lawyer is there anyway to correct some legal issues my wife fell into before she learned to speak English. We were referred to Jonathan and he has done miracles in clearing her name so we finally have a chance at receiving our Green...
Jonathan is not only a brilliant attorney but he is a genuinely good human being. A petty misdemeanor mistake was holding back our immigration process. We came to him seeking options and hope. Upon meeting Jonathan during our initial consultation, his overwhelming knowledge, positivity and kindness were on full display and we immediately felt hope again. I know in my heart Jonathan deeply cares for...
I highly recommend his services.
Jonathan was the only one willing to help my husband and me during a tough time. My husband was facing deportation and had no chance to beat his case unless Jonathan was able to vacate a previous conviction. Jonathan was persistent and genuinely advocated for my husband and family. Jonathan was able to vacate the 12-year-old conviction with DuPage County, giving us a fighting chance...
I hired Mr. Jonathan Minkus for a criminal drug conviction which I needed removed off of my record that I had pled guilty to over 7 years ago. Without going into too much detail about the difficulty of my case, I would just like to emphasize how difficult it is to convince a Judge 7 years after pleading guilty to drop a charge. Well, Jonathan...
Mr. Minkus did extremely good work on my difficult criminal case for Resisting Arrest . Also he help me save my Commercial Driver License for Agrivated speeding. That means he save my job and my income. This is High Class Lawyer and I would recommended This Lawyer to anyone with deep trouble . Thank You again mr Minkus.
I was wrongfully advised by an immigration lawyer to expunge my criminal record that consisted of a drug related charge in order to apply for residency. My wife and I quickly found out this was not true and were referred by two different lawyers (who did not know one another) to contact Mr. Minkus. We were without hope and filled with stress.
I almost never write reviews and when Mr. Minkus just finished representing my brother and I looked for him online I felt like I had to write this. Yes, he is not the cheapest lawyer around but he did exactly what he said he would do. My brother was being deported and we were sent to Mr. Minkus to try and fix his criminal record.
I hired Mr. Minkus a month ago after a convoluted incident that left me with criminal trespass and criminal damage to property, possibly pending a burglary charge. The confessions I had written and the police notes that were taken while I was in custody painted a very bad portrait of me and the system likely would have given me a severe sentence if not for
My experience with mr. Minkus was outstanding. Mr.Minkus really help me with difficult criminal case for Resisting Arrest and extremely bad traffic ticket for agrivated speeding . I would recommend this lawyer to anyone who are in deep trouble. I would love to say again THANK YOU mr Minkus for Excellent work on my case.
I had a conviction in my record that affect my ability to get my citizenship. Mr Johnatan came highly recommend from my immigration attorney and he was right. Mr Minkus went out of his way to get my conviction changed to the level that won't affect me anymore. I highly recommend his services.
Senior Partner Jonathan Minkus has successfully defended individuals charged with every conceivable criminal offense, from traffic misdemeanors to death-penalty eligible homicides.
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