Criminal Defense Case Results
If you need a serious criminal defense lawyer with a long record of success, Wolf Criminal Law is the firm to choose. Chicago criminal defense attorney Bill Wolf has defended clients in many high-profile and high-stakes cases, including those involving allegations of murder, sex crimes, felony drug crimes and federal crimes. Below are some examples of cases we have handled.
People v. C.H.
Not Guilty of First Degree Murder: Chicago Police Detective Pressured Witnesses
C.H. was charged with beating a known drug dealer to death in the middle of the night on the West Side of Chicago. The State presented several witnesses that claimed to police that C.H. directly participated in the beating. Attorney Bill Wolf led the defense investigation which suggested that a specific Chicago Police detective took it upon himself to try to pressure witnesses to say that they saw C.H. As it turned out, some eyewitnesses were facing felony charges themselves. Some evidence was known by the detective to implicate one of the witnesses in the murder, but the evidence was passed over and not written down in the detective’s reports since the witness was willing to name C.H. After uncovering this evidence, a heated bench trial took place where Bill Wolf was lead counsel. C.H. won a finding of “Not Guilty” of First Degree Murder.
People v. W.M.
Not Guilty: State’s Medical Expert Wrote Misleading Report
W.M. was charged with Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child in connection with his own 12-year-old daughter. Bill Wolf led a defense team to a “Not Guilty” jury verdict, presenting a case that W.M.’s daughter was fabricating a story so she could live with her mother full-time because she believed her father was too strict of a disciplinarian. Bill Wolf cross-examined the State’s medical expert to establish not only that the medical findings were consistent with an innocent explanation other than sexual assault, but also that the expert was biased in favor of saying that there is sexual abuse to a point that she was caught on cross-examination writing a misleading report that claimed that certain medical records were unavailable, when in fact she had not yet asked for them before writing her report.
People v. Jerry Miller
Rape Conviction Overturned by DNA Evidence
Jerry Miller was convicted in 1982 of rape based on eyewitness testimony from several witnesses, all of whom were wrong. In all, Jerry spent 25 years in prison for a crime someone else committed. Long after exhausting all of his appeals, Jerry sought the help of the Innocence Project of New York to clear him and help prove his innocence.
Attorney Bill Wolf was recruited by the Innocence Project to serve as local counsel for Mr. Miller. Bill Wolf worked with the Innocence Project to find a laboratory to do DNA testing on the victim’s clothing that still existed decades later. Attorney Wolf then wrote and presented the motions with the Innocence Project to exonerate Jerry once the results clearing Jerry became known. Jerry Miller became the 200th DNA exoneration in the United States.
People v. A.C.
Acquitted of First Degree Murder: Detective Used Questionable Interrogation Methods
A.C. was charged with first degree murder of his own 3-month-old son. The case against him consisted of medical testimony from prosecution “experts” as well as a videotaped interrogation where A.C. admitted to shaking his child on several different occasions.
Bill Wolf personally cross-examined the State’s doctors on their findings. Wolf also questioned the detective regarding his interrogation methods that led to a false confession. After hearing experts from both sides and reviewing the tapes of the interrogation that showed the detective’s questionable methods, the jury acquitted A.C. of first degree murder, finding him guilty of the lesser offense of involuntary manslaughter.
People v. C.D.
Not Guilty of First Degree Murder: Prosecution Stacked the Lineup
C.D. was accused of being the shooter in a “drive by” shooting where a 15-year-old gang member was killed. Attorney Bill Wolf led an investigation that strongly suggested that a Chicago police detective led witnesses to select C.D. because the owner of the car in question that the detective apparently did not want to investigate was the son of a Chicago police officer. The defense discovered that the coaching for one “eyewitness” went so far as to stack the lineup C.D. stood in. Other than C.D., the lineup was stacked with members of the same gang that the eyewitness belonged to, so the witness would know to point out C.D. and not the other gang members. Attorney Wolf’s cross-examinations of witnesses and detectives led to a finding of “Not Guilty” of First Degree Murder in a bench trial.
People v. C.F.
Acquitted of First Degree Murder: Client Defended Himself from the Use of Deadly Force Against Him
C.F. was accused of First Degree Murder after shooting his unarmed drug dealer boss. C.F. shot him three times during a fight and struggle. The defense successfully argued, despite several eyewitnesses to the contrary, that C.F.’s boss started the fight. Attorney Bill Wolf and his co-counsel convinced the jury that, despite the fact that his boss was unarmed, C.F. thought he was defending himself from the use of deadly force against him. A jury acquitted C.F. of First Degree Murder, convicting him of the lesser offense of Second Degree Murder.
People v. D.A.
Acquitted of First Degree Murder: Client Believed She Was Defending Her Life
D.A. was accused of First Degree Murder after stabbing her ex-boyfriend to death. D.A. supposedly said to officers on the scene, “We had an argument, I stabbed him, and I hope he dies!” D.A. later gave a videotaped statement to a detective and prosecutor, indicating that she stabbed her ex-boyfriend, and that he never hit her, kicked her, or did anything else physically to provoke the stabbing or require her to defend herself. Bill Wolf and his trial partner convinced a jury that she gave a false confession and that she stabbed him during a physical confrontation where she believed she was defending her life. The jury acquitted her of First Degree Murder, convicting her of the lesser offense of Second Degree Murder.
People v. R.U.
Not Guilty of First Degree Murder: “Witnesses” Fingered the Gang Member They Hated the Most, Our Client
R.U. was accused of First Degree Murder in a gang shooting on the South Side of Chicago. Four eyewitnesses came forward pointing the finger at a gang member they knew, R.U. A fifth witness came forward and identified R.U. as being involved in a shooting incident in the same area a week before. Attorney Bill Wolf led a defense team that argued the witnesses were gang members who never saw what happened, and they decided to finger the gang member who they hated the most, R.U. Bill Wolf cross-examined most of these witnesses, convincing a jury to return a verdict of Not Guilty.
People v. V.C.
Acquitted of First Degree Murder: Crossfire Possibly Responsible, Not Our Client
V.C. was accused of First Degree Murder of a woman in her parked vehicle. The State argued that the woman was tragically shot by V.C. while V.C. was trying to kill people who were driving by in other vehicles. Attorney Bill Wolf and his co-counsel convinced the jury that crossfire from a person in one of the moving vehicles may have killed the woman instead. This led the jury to acquit V.C. of First Degree Murder.
People v. R.B.
Not Guilty of First Degree Murder by Reason of Insanity
R.B. was accused of First Degree Murder of her husband after stabbing him in the middle of the night. She called 911 and told the police that she stabbed him and that he’s dead. After investigating the case, Attorney Bill Wolf learned that the woman had a 29-year psychiatric history of schizophrenia and that she had been in and out of facilities for many years. Bill Wolf led a defense team victory for R.B. with a finding after a bench trial of “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.”
People v. T.M.
Acquitted of First Degree Murder: Violent Friends Also Involved
T.M. was accused of First Degree Murder in a shooting on a public street where friends of an unarmed young deceased man “returned fire.” In addition to this incident being captured by security camera, T.M. gave five different stories to detectives in the course of an hour during a videotaped interrogation. Attorney Bill Wolf cross-examined these “friends” and revealed their violent tendencies. This convinced the jury to acquit T.M. of First Degree Murder and convict him of the lesser offense of Second Degree Murder.
Contact Wolf Criminal Law For A Free Consultation
If you are facing a serious criminal charge, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. Please call or text Wolf Criminal Law at 312-881-9899 or complete our contact form for a free consultation. Our office is in downtown Chicago, and we represent clients throughout Illinois.