I began my legal career as a law clerk for the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court - where I have since argued six cases and delivered dozens of oral arguments. I then spent more than a decade as an assistant public defender in Cook County and many more years in a leadership role with the Office of the State Appellate Defender. All of this experience now serves me well as I work to defend the rights, and the very lives, of people accused of crimes.
Skilled Representation From A Proven Criminal Defense Lawyer
If your freedom, or perhaps even your life itself, is on the line because of criminal charges, you need a resourceful, determined advocate on your side. I am Stephen L. Richards, a Chicago criminal defense lawyer with more than 25 years of experience aggressively protecting the rights of the accused. No matter how challenging your case may seem, I can help.
A Trial-Tested Attorney With A Wealth Of Complex Case Experience
My experience as a criminal defense lawyer includes more than 75 felony jury trials, involvement in hundreds of death penalty cases, extensive appeals work and arguments before the Illinois Supreme Court. Among the high-profile cases I have handled are:
-Representation of one defendant in the 1993 Palatine Brown's Chicken multiple homicide, who was sentenced by a jury to life rather than the death penalty
-Successful defense of William Buck in the first Illinois capital murder case to be tried after clemency was granted to death row inmates in 1993
-Multiple appellate cases that have established important precedents involving jury selection, prosecutorial misconduct and other pivotal issues
My Chicago, Illinois, law firm is located on the West Loop, a convenient location with easy-access parking. From there, I represent people accused of crimes throughout northern Illinois. I also handle employment law and civil rights cases.
