Criminal Defense
Harold L. Wallin has been representing criminal defendants since 1994. Since 2014, he has been honored as one of the Nation’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers and he has also been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Thomson-Reuters. The legal publisher Martindale bestowed him their highest rating: AV Preeminent.
Mr. Wallin has defended clients charged with criminal offenses as diverse as battery, burglary, strong-armed robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, identity theft, criminal sexual assault, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of drugs.
Here are some examples of recent victories:
- Aggravated UUW (26th Street): The client was charged with Aggravated UUW by a Felon after a gun was found in his car during a traffic stop. Mr. Wallin convinced the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office that the client was not a felon (this involved an interpretation of an out of state criminal sentence) and that he was in compliance with the Illinois Concealed Carry Act at the time of the traffic stoop. The state dropped the case.
- Battery (111th Street): A client was charged with battery after she allegedly struck an off-duty Cook County Sheriff with a wine glass at a bar. After a bench trial with six witnesses at a south side Chicago branch court, the Judge found the client not guilty.
- UUW/Reckless Conduct (Grand and Central): A client was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, reckless conduct and possession of a firearm without a FOID after he had shot himself in the leg. After a bench trial in a Chicago branch court, all charges were dismissed at the end of the state’s case after Mr. Wallin successfully argued a Motion for a Directed Finding.
- Burglary (Skokie): A client was charged with burglary after being arrested in a parking lot. He was accused of breaking into a vehicle and stealing items. During cross-examination of the arresting police officers, discrepancies were shown between the testimony and reports, and a Skokie judge found the client not guilty. A co-defendant had plead guilty immediately before trial and received a prison sentence of several years.
- Battery (Rolling Meadows): A client was charged with battery after allegedly kicking a security guard as he was being thrown out of a Rosemont bar. Mr. Wallin pointed out inconsistencies in the officer’s testimony and charging documents and a Rolling Meadows judge found him not guilty.
- Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (26th Street): Mr. Wallin successfully argued a Motion to Suppress, alleging that the arresting officer stopped his client’s vehicle without probable cause to believe that a crime was being committed. After the court ruled in the client’s favor, the case was dropped.
- Identity Theft (Markham): A client was charged with 41 counts of Identity Theft after he tried to use fraudulent credit cards at a south suburban store. Mr. Wallin argued that the client was illegally stopped and searched and the Markham Judge agreed, throwing out all of the evidence that was obtained. The State’s Attorney dismissed the case after the court’s ruling.