Home invasion in Chicago, Skokie, Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg, as well as elsewhere in Illinois, is an incredibly serious crime that carries harsh penalties. In many cases, people who are accused of this offense choose to call a Chicago home invasion defense lawyer who understands the law and who can fight hard to preserve their rights.
What is Home Invasion in Illinois?
Home invasion is different from burglary or residential burglary. 720 ILCS 5/19-6 says that a person commits home invasion when he or she knowingly goes into another person’s home when one or more people who live there are present, or when the person goes in and waits until someone is present. It also includes people who falsely represent themselves for the purpose of gaining entry into someone’s home and:
- Is armed with a dangerous weapon (other than a firearm) and uses force or threatens to use force, even if nobody is injured
- Intentionally causes injury to people inside the home
- Is armed with a firearm and uses force or the threat of force, even if nobody is injured
- Uses force or threatens to use force and discharges a firearm, even if nobody is injured
- Personally discharges a firearm that causes great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement, or death to someone inside the home
- Commits sexual assault or sexual abuse
Defenses for Home Invasion Charges in Chicago
If you immediately leave the home when another person arrives, or if you surrender to the homeowner without attempting to cause bodily injury, you can’t be found guilty of home invasion. However, you could still be charged with other crimes, including property crimes such as damage to property, trespassing or burglary.
Your home invasion defense attorney will need to prove to the judge or jury that you immediately left the home, or that you surrendered to the homeowner without attempting to cause (and without causing) injury.
Talk to a Chicago Home Invasion Defense Lawyer Now
If you’ve been accused of home invasion, you need to know that it’s a very serious crime in Chicago, Skokie, Schaumburg and Rolling Meadows—as well as in all the other communities in the state of Illinois.
You need tough legal representation from a former Cook County Prosecutor who understands the law and who’s willing to go to bat for you.
Call us at 847-920-4540 for your free home invasion case evaluation right now. We’ll give you case-specific legal advice and formulate a strategy that gets you the best possible outcome.
