Oppenheimer Firm
Our blog contains curated information regarding civil rights and wrongful conviction law. Please read to learn more, and should you need direct legal advice, contact us immediately. Based in Chicago, The Oppenheimer Firm has helped victims across the country gain the justice they deserve.
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...
Modern police work increasingly relies on a reverse investigation method known as a geofence warrant. Instead of identifying a suspect and then searching their phone, law enforcement starts with a location and then searches for every person who was there. In Illinois,...
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...
Under the Fourth Amendment, you have protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. Law enforcement generally must obtain a warrant and have probable cause before entering your property. If the police violated these requirements, they may have breached your...
Police officers can become irrationally afraid or overstep their authority in any location. Police officers may choose to use lethal interventions in scenarios where non-lethal force would likely suffice. In some cases, they may become unnecessarily aggressive toward...
