Success Stories
March 4, 2015 | People v. AS
Client AS was driving home after going to a bar for trivia night. He was stopped by Chicago Police for a minor traffic violation, and despite doing fairly well on field sobriety tests, he was arrested for DUI. At the police station, he took a breath test which produced a result of 0.156 BAC. Mr. Wallin took the case to a Chicago jury, and was able to successfully argue that Mr. S.’s acid reflux made the breath test inaccurate, and that putting that test aside, there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of guilty. After deliberating, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on both counts of DUI!
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September 10, 2014 | People v. SB
Client SB was eating at a Chicago restaurant when an altercation broke out between one of her companions and another party. Chicago Police arrived on the scene and made some arrests. An officer gave SB the keys to her companion’s car and told her to leave. Seconds after she pulled out of a parking lot, a Chicago Police officer pulled her over. During a hearing, the officer claimed that SB had committed a traffic violation which was the reason for the stop. However, attorney Harold Wallin showed the court that it was impossible for her to have committed a violation in the short amount of time and distance that SB was in the car before being pulled over. At the end of the hearing, a Cook County Judge found that the officer’s story was incredible and that he did not have probable cause to make the traffic stop. As a result, all charges were dismissed.
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May 19, 2015 | People v. KM
It was New Year’s Eve, and client KM spent the evening with his wife and children at a relative’s home. On the drive back home, his wife, who was having a panic attack, called the police on her cell phone to report that her husband was driving while intoxicated and would not pull over. The Illinois State Police located the vehicle and pulled them over. KM was asked to perform field tests in cold, snowy weather despite having several medical conditions which made it difficult for him. He was charged with DUI and child endangerment. At trial, Mr. Wallin cross-examined the Trooper and showed arrest video, raising issues of credibility and sufficiency of the evidence. At the conclusion of the prosecutor’s case, a Cook County Judge dismissed all the charges, finding that there was not sufficient evidence that KM was intoxicated.
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July 22, 2013 | People v. O.V.
Mr. V. was driving down Western Avenue when one of Chicago’s top DUI cops pulled him over for “improper lane usage” — even though Mr. V. had not left his lane of traffic nor weaved, swerved or drifted during the four long blocks that the officer followed him. After performing several field tests, Mr. V. was arrested for DUI and later took a breath test with a result over 0.08. As it was his second DUI arrest, he was facing the possibility of a license revocation, which would wreak havoc with his family obligations. Attorney Harold L. Wallin filed a “Motion to Suppress” alleging that there was no lawful basis for the traffic stop. At the hearing, the officer changed his testimony as to how often Mr. V. allegedly weaved, where the weaving took place, and how far away the officer had been when he “observed” all this. Also shown was a “dash cam” video which showed the officer getting into his squad car after finishing another traffic stop (as Mr. V. passed by in the opposite direction) and the officer immediately making a U-turn to follow him for several blocks until making the stop. The Judge, upon hearing all the evidence and watching the video, declared that the police officer had not been truthful, and noted for the record that this had been the first time that he had made such a finding in the 2 and a half years that he had been on the bench. After the State’s Motion to Reconsider was denied, the case was dismissed. (On an earlier court date, the summary suspension of the client’s license had been rescinded for other reasons).
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May 22, 2012 | People v. A.C. (Rolling Meadows)
A.C. was charged with DUI and other traffic charges, after his vehicle hit a light police in a Northwest Cook County suburb. A sheriff’s deputy was called to the scene, and after further investigation, arrested A.C. Attorney Wallin took the case to trial and was able to show that there was insufficient evidence to convict Mr. A.C., despite the accident, his admission to drinking 5 beers and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, and Mr. A.C. was found “Not Guilty.”
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May 16, 2012 | People v. N.H. (Maywood)
Mr. H. was driving home and was about to park in front of his home in a Western Cook County suburb, when a police officer turned on his Mars lights and effectuated a traffic stop. It turned out that the police had received a call from a local woman who thought that a vehicle had been following her a little earlier. The “suspicious” vehicle was similar (but not exactly) the same as Mr. H.’s vehicle. (“Suspicious” is put in quotes because this lady did not say anything that was all that suspicious). Mr. H. had not committed any moving violations prior to the stop. After a hearing on a Motion to Suppress, a Cook County judge ruled that the stop was improper and he suppressed any evidence later obtained by officers from use in a DUI trial. As a result, the State’s Attorney dropped the pending DUI charge.
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January 6, 2012 | People v. K.N. (Skokie)
Client K.N. did not want to go to trial. But attorney Harold Wallin was convinced that the evidence in her case was insufficient for a conviction. He convinced Ms. N. to take the case to trial. . Here are her comments, posted on another website: “I just got home from court (2nd court date) and now feeling like myself again because Harold just got me out of a DUI (my first and hopefully only). Like anyone who’s been charged with DUI, I was scared and humiliated. After two days of shopping around for a good and affordable DUI lawyer, I found Harold online and read all of the reviews about him. I decided to give Harold a call based on the positive reviews and after our consultation I hired him, all the while not really sure if I had gone with a ‘good-enough” lawyer to get me our of my DUI (I don’t believe anyone could be sure in this type of situation until court has taken place). Harold was not only honest and straight-forward, he KNOWS what he’s doing. My case went to trial because Harold believed I had a good chance of having the DUI charge dropped. I’m so glad I took his advice. Harold was swift and effective while cross-examining the officer during trial. His series of questions to the officer truly impressed me and effectively gained the answers that worked in my favor from the police officer. I was blown away when the judge said “Not Guilty” on the DUI charge. The only two charges I was found guilty on were ‘Improper Lane Change’ and ‘Failure to Signal.’ I am elated and feeling like a ton of weight has lifted off my shoulders. The ordeal is over and I can be myself again! Thank you so much, Harold, for your excellent expertise as a DUI lawyer!”
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August 31, 2011 | People v. R.D. (Chicago Felony)
Mr. D. was driving through Chicago to pick up his girlfriend when he was stopped at a roadside safety check (also known as a DUI checkpoint or roadblock). This quickly lead to Mr. D.’s fourth DUI case, and it was quickly upgraded to a felony by the Cook County State’s Attorney, even though Mr. D.’s last DUI conviction occurred over 20 years earlier. A fourth DUI is a non-probationable offense, with a mandatory minimum of three years. Here is what Mr. D. had to say: “I was arrested in September 2010 for my 4th DUI. I immediately reached out to friends and family to get the best DUI lawyer. Harold Wallin came highly recommended and did not disappointment. His fees are reasonable and he answered every question I had. I was amazed at how he cross examined the Chicago police officer who arrested me and was able to point out mistakes and circumstantial evidence that the State tried to use against me. I was facing 3 years in prison for this non-probationable offense and thanks to Harold I was found not guilty.”
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December 3, 2010 | People v. J.B. (Bridgeview)
Police Officer J.B. was off-duty at a suburban bar when he got involved in an argument with another patron over a woman. Local police were called to the scene, and after everything was calmed down, one of the officers warned Mr. B. not to drive home. After waiting for the officer to leave, Mr. B. got in his car and drove off. He was immediately pulled over and charged with DUI. His badge was at stake if he lost the case. Mr. Wallin was able to show that the case was without merit and Officer B. was found not guilty of all charges.
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December 2, 2009 | People v. J.O. (Skokie)
Mr. O. was driving home after working long hours as a busboy at a bar/restaurant. He was in his early 20s and was driving his father’s Jaguar, which probably attracted the attention of police. Mr. O. had never had a DUI before. Yet he was charged with the felony offense of aggravated driving under the influence because he did not have a valid driver’s license at the time of the offense. Mr. O. was merely stopped in traffic when he made eye contact with the officer. The officer claimed that he thought Mr. O. was sleeping, because his head bobbed up and down for four to five seconds. Mr. Wallin was able to win an acquittal for his client by cross-examine the arresting officer with many inconsistencies from previous hearings, such as where he first observed Mr. O., what Mr. O. was doing at the time of the police stop, and whether Mr. O. was ever offered a breath test. Mr. O.’s employer was also called as a witness, and he testified that he was with Mr. O. from 7 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and during that time, Mr. O. had not consumed any alcohol in his presence (and that alcohol consumption on the job violated work rules). Mr. O. had been arrested 45 minutes after leaving work. The Cook County judge found that the evidence was insufficient to support the state’s case, and Mr. O. was found not guilty.
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