Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon

Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon Lawyer-Defending UUW by a Felon Cases

UUW by a Felon attorney, James Dimeas, has over-29 years of experience handling UUW by a Felon criminal cases throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County and Lake County. James Dimeas is a UUW by a Felon lawyer with the experience and knowledge to successfully defend people charged with the crime of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon.

While Illinois allows people with a felony conviction to vote, Illinois is much less forgiving when it comes to a gun. If you have been convicted of a felony you cannot be in possession of a gun in Illinois. If you are convicted of a felony you lose your 2nd Amendment right to own or possess a firearm in Illinois. And while Illinois gun laws and law enforcement personnel are very tough when it comes to gun crimes, they are particularly tough on convicted felons who are caught with a gun. If you are a convicted felon and you are caught with a gun, you will be charged with Unlawful Use of a Firearm by a Felon 720 ILCS 5/24-1.1. The title is a little misleading. You don’t have to actually use the gun. Merely being in possession of the gun is enough to be considered the unlawful use of a firearm. If you are a convicted felon, and you are caught with a gun it does not matter that the gun was in your home. It doesn’t even matter if the gun did not belong to you. The mere fact that the gun was in a home that you lived in is enough to make you guilty under the Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon statute in Illinois.

Convicted felons are already at a disadvantage. When the police encounter a convicted felon, and find a gun nearby, when they run the name of a suspect and see that they are convicted felons, the police will jump to conclusions that are unfair to an innocent citizen. Many times, the police will jump to unfair and unwise assumptions and will make up evidence to justify their mistaken assumptions. Many times, the police will search a vehicle or a house without a warrant and without probable cause and will recover and seize evidence illegally. Sometimes they will question a suspect without reading them their Miranda Rights. UUW by a Felon lawyer, James Dimeas, will challenge the police when they violate your rights. James Dimeas will challenge the state’s evidence and if the police violated your rights, James Dimeas will have the evidence suppressed and thrown out in Court. The consequence for a convicted felon who is being charged with a gun crime in Illinois is very severe. UUW by a Felon lawyer, James Dimeas has the experience and the knowledge of the Illinois UUW laws that is necessary to take on the state and defeat charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon.

What Proof is Required to Be Guilty of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon in Illinois?

If you have a felony conviction and you knowingly possess a gun on your person, your home, or your place of business, you can be guilty of a Class 3 felony of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon in Illinois. The felony conviction does not have to be from the State of Illinois. Your felony conviction can be from any state in the country.

What are the Criminal Penalties and the Consequences of a Conviction for Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon in Illinois?

Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon is a Class 3 felony in Illinois. UUW by a Felon carries a maximum prison sentence of five years but is non-probationable. The minimum sentence for a conviction for an Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon is two years in prison. Even if the Judge or the Prosecutor feel sorry for you and want to give you a break, if you are convicted of UUW By a Felon in Illinois, you must receive a two-year prison sentence. If this is your second, or subsequent, conviction, you could be facing a Class 2 felony which carries a prison sentence of between 3 to 14 years.

UPDATE: On June 23, 2017, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law which increases the minimum sentence for a second, or subsequent, conviction for Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon from 3 years to 7 years. The sentencing range for a second, or subsequent, conviction for Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon will now be 7 to 14 years under this new law. Judges will be allowed to depart from the sentencing range provided they provide a valid explanation for doing so. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2018.

UUW By a Felon is one of the most serious gun charges in Illinois. Depending on the class of felony that you have previously been convicted of, you may be looking at more time than just the two years of jail time. In addition, if you have more than one felony conviction in your background, you may be looking at additional jail time. UUW lawyer, James Dimeas, has extensive experience representing people charged with Unlawful Use a Weapon by a Felon in Illinois. James Dimeas has handled cases for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County for over-29 years. James Dimeas is familiar with the law and the various sentencing ranges that depend on a variety of factors.

How to Win Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon Charges and Cases in Illinois?

If you are a convicted felon you know that when you encounter the police you start off with strike one. If the police suspect that any laws are being violated you will become the main suspect as soon as they find out who you are and that you are a convicted felon. If you are a convicted felon you can become the main suspect at no time. UUW lawyer, James Dimeas, has represented many people with felony convictions throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County who are charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon.

James Dimeas has seen how the police will rush to judgment and will unfairly target someone just because of their criminal record. James Dimeas has had cases in which his client was a passenger in a car that did not belong to him and when the police found a gun they automatically assumed that the gun belonged to his client. James Dimeas has had cases where clients have stayed at somebody’s house and when the gun is found and the police find out that his client is a convicted felon they automatically assume that the gun belonged to his client. The criminal justice system is not always blind like it should be. If you are a convicted felon, you know that the system can be very unfair and unjust.

UUW lawyer, James Dimeas, represents his clients aggressively and will make sure that they are treated fairly by the criminal justice system. If the police stop you while walking down the street for no reason, UUW lawyer, James Dimeas, will challenge the legality of the stop in court. If the police illegally searched your car or your home, James Dimeas will have that search declared illegal by the Court and will have the evidence by the police seized thrown out by the Court.

Award-Winning UUW Lawyer for Your UUW Gun Case

James Dimeas is a nationally recognized, award-winning, UUW attorney. Attorney and Practice Magazine gave James Dimeas the “Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney Award for Illinois,” and the “Top 10 DUI Defense Attorney” award. The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys gave James Dimeas the “Top 10 Attorney Award for the State of Illinois.” Recently, the American Society of Legal Advocates named James Dimeas a “Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer In the State of Illinois For the Year 2018, 2019, and 2020.” James Dimeas is rated “Superb,” 10 out of 10, by AVVO, the highest rating possible for any UUW attorney in the United States. James Dimeas was named a “Best DUI Attorney” and a “Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in Chicago” by Expertise. The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys have named James Dimeas a “10 Best Attorney for Client Satisfaction”, and the National Trial Lawyers named James Dimeas a “Top 100 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer.”

If you are a convicted felon and are approached by the police and they start asking you questions you should demand that they provide you with a lawyer before answering any of their questions. Give UUW attorney, James Dimeas, a call to discuss your case as soon as you get a chance to call. UUW lawyer, James Dimeas, has spent over-29 years fighting the police and fighting the state in court and defending his clients rights. You can contact Chicago UUW lawyer, James Dimeas, anytime for a free and confidential consultation about your case. You can always speak to attorney James Dimeas personally by calling 847-807-7405.