or the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
The Peoplev.You.
When you are charged with a crime, the government already has lawyers working against you. You need one working for you, starting now.
Spector | Baker defends people facing state and federal criminal charges in Chicago and the surrounding counties, from the first court date through sentencing and appeal.
Criminal cases we handle
Every case gets the same work: read every page of discovery, test every piece of evidence, and prepare as if it is going to trial.
Federal criminal defense
Murder, sex offense, drug, firearm, and fraud indictments, such as PPP loan fraud, in the Northern District of Illinois, including grand jury investigations before charges are filed.
Read more → 720 ILCS 5State felonies
Murder, reckless homicide, aggravated DUI, sex offense, weapons, drug, theft, and violent offense charges in Cook, Lake, DuPage, and the collar counties.
Read more → 725 ILCS 5/114-12Searches and suppression
Traffic stops, search warrants, and statements. If police broke the rules, we move to keep the evidence out.
Read more → 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)Sentencing and mitigation
Guidelines objections, mitigation investigation, and sentencing memoranda that show the court who you are.
Read more → 725 ILCS 5/122Appeals and post-conviction
Seventh Circuit and Illinois appeals, post-conviction petitions, and challenges to unfair convictions or sentences.
Read more → 625 ILCS 5/11-501DUI and serious traffic
DUI charges, license suspensions, and traffic cases that carry jail time or affect your job.
Read more →How a criminal case moves
Most people have never been through this before. Here is the usual order of events, and what we do at each stage.
- STAGE 1
Arrest or investigation
Do not talk to police or agents about the case. Call a lawyer. If you have received a target letter or subpoena, we can often step in before charges are filed.
- STAGE 2
First appearance and pretrial release
Illinois no longer uses cash bail. The court decides whether you go home and on what conditions. We argue for your release at this hearing.
- STAGE 3
Discovery and investigation
We get the reports, videos, lab results, and phone data the government has, and we do our own investigation.
- STAGE 4
Motions
We challenge illegal searches, unreliable statements, and weak charges before trial.
- STAGE 5
Negotiation or trial
You decide whether to accept an offer or go to trial. We give you a straight assessment so you can decide with full information.
- STAGE 6
Sentencing and appeal
If there is a conviction, sentencing is where preparation matters most. We also handle appeals and post-conviction relief.
Where we appear
Our office on Dearborn Street is a short walk from the federal courthouse, and we cover state courthouses across the region.
Michael E. Baker
Michael E. Baker is a Chicago criminal defense lawyer who represents people in state and federal court, at trial, at sentencing, and on appeal.
He handles each case personally. Clients talk to him directly, not to a rotating staff, and they get honest advice about where their case stands.
He has practiced law since 2007 and began his career as a prosecutor. That experience shows him how the government builds a case, where it is weakest, and how prosecutors decide what to offer.
- In practice since
- 2007
- Prior experience
- Former prosecutor
- Admitted
- State of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, including its Trial Bar
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States - Office
- 140 S. Dearborn St., Suite 1610
Chicago, Illinois 60603