Oppenheimer Firm
Discussions about police brutality and excessive force by law enforcement professionals often focus on the conduct of officers chasing or arresting suspects. However, the people staffing county jails in Illinois are also technically law enforcement professionals who...
A police shooting often leaves you trying to piece together what actually happened and why officers used force. In some cases, courts or investigators may later review the facts to see whether officers acted within legal limits or crossed a line set by constitutional...
A retaliatory arrest occurs when a police officer exercises their state-sanctioned power to take you into custody as a direct "punishment" for engaging in protected speech. In Chicago, these incidents frequently manifest when a citizen records a police interaction on...
The Chicago police officer who put you in handcuffs may have lied under oath before, planted evidence in other cases or filed reports everyone knows are false. If that officer appears on a Brady List, prosecutors must tell you but sometimes fail to do so. That single...
The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment to convicted individuals. This includes deliberate indifference of a prison official to an inmate’s serious medical need. Many Illinois correctional facilities struggle with staffing shortages, budget...
Yes, you generally have the right to record police in Illinois, especially in public. But that does not always stop officers from claiming you are interfering or obstructing. The issue is not just whether recording is legal, but how you do it in the moment. Here are...
If you own a high-end vehicle, you may have noticed that it attracts a little more attention than usual. However, in some cases this also includes police officers, which can use a minor equipment violation (tinted windows, a license plate cover, or a flickering tail...
When a loved one is behind bars, their health should not be left to chance. While incarceration limits many freedoms, the U.S. Constitution protects an individual’s right to essential health care. If you are advocating for someone in an Illinois or federal facility,...
Imagine sitting in a cell for a crime you did not commit. You know the truth, but the jury never heard the full story because the prosecutor kept a secret. This happens more often than you might think in Illinois courtrooms. When the state hides evidence that could...
Police may have entered your Illinois home under a no-knock warrant and used force during the search. You may now question whether that entry respected constitutional limits. Illinois allows no-knock warrants in narrow situations, but officers must meet specific legal...
