Attorney Profile Matthew T. Hoffman
Attorney Profile
Matthew T. Hoffman
Attorney Matt Hoffman of the HoffmanLaw Office knows the Lake County, Illinois criminal court system. He has amassed more than twenty-three years of experience working as either a prosecutor or as a criminal defense attorney in the Lake County traffic, DUI, juvenile, misdemeanor and felony courts. He brings more than six years of prior experience as a Lake County criminal court prosecutor to every case he defends today. He has handled hundreds of Lake County criminal cases in a wide range of subject areas. He has a strong record of both bench and jury trial experience. Notable cases he has handled have been reported on by the Lake County News Sun, the Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
As a former Lake County Assistant State's Attorney, originally Matt gained years of criminal court experience working in the major criminal divisions of the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. These divisions included the Traffic, Misdemeanor, Domestic Violence, Felony Review, Juvenile, Felony Drug and General Felony Divisions. During his years working as a prosecutor, Matt learned how police and the prosecution go about building a criminal case. He gained firsthand knowledge of and received significant training in the techniques and tactics the prosecution employs to seek convictions. For years, he implemented these practices in the Lake County criminal courts. He became a respected and accomplished prosecutor in the Lake County State's Attorney's Office and took responsibility for a number of serious and high-profile cases.
The work ethic Matt applied to prosecution he brought with him to the defense. In 2005, Matt left the Lake County State's Attorney's Office and established the HoffmanLaw Office in Lake County, Illinois. It is the mission of the HoffmanLaw Office to provide exceptional and insightful criminal defense advocacy to those charged with crimes in the Lake County, Illinois courts.
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Lead Attorney Matt Hoffman's Former Prosecutorial Experience, Division-by-Division, in the Lake County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Traffic & DUI Division Experience
Reported daily to traffic and DUI court in the criminal courts building in Waukegan, Illinois. Represented the People in petty offense and misdemeanor traffic, alcohol and drug-based DUI cases, and in driving on suspended and revoked license proceedings. Managed arraignment call, status and pretrial conferences. Also prosecuted State traffic charges on assignment to the various Lake County traffic branch courts. Maintained responsibility for and participated in discovery compliance, status and pretrial practice, motion practice, statutory summary suspension rescission hearings, trial, and sentencing. Accumulated significant bench and jury trial experience in traffic and DUI court, and separate jury trial experience in felony criminal court.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Misdemeanor Division Experience
Working in the State's Attorney's Office in Waukegan, Illinois, reviewed police reports, exercising prosecutorial discretion in approving or denying formal charges. Formally charged a wide array of misdemeanor cases and drafted sworn informations and complaints. Filed charges at arraignment, maintaining compliance with discovery rules and supplemental discovery orders of the court. Represented the People at arraignment, status and pretrial proceedings, and various pretrial motions brought under the Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure. Accumulated significant experience with pretrial negotiating and plea bargaining in jailable offenses. Engaged in complicated written motion and trial practice, including in matters covered by the press. Intitiated sentence revocation proceedings by drafting revocation petitions prosecuted in court. Corresponded with victims of crime and pursued restitution on their behalfs. Prepared police and lay witnesses for trial. Developed addditional bench and jury trial experience in different matters charged under the Illinois Criminal Code.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Domestic Violence Division Experience
Transitioned into domestic violence courtroom from general misdemeanor prosecutions division. Took co-responsibility with a small unit of other prosecutors for misdemeanor charges involving domestic relationships, including child victims. Prosecuted domestic battery charges alleging offensive physical contact and many alleging the unlawful infliction of varying degrees of bodily harm. Worked directly with victim-witness counselors of the State's Attorney's Office in maintaining communication with alleged victims. Worked with investigators in tracking witnesses avoiding trial subpoenae and in serving them to compel appearance in court. Developed understanding of special trial evidentiary rules pertaining to admissibility of prior bad acts evidence and treatment of hostile witnesses under oath. Prosecuted violation of order of protection, telephone harassment, and interference with reporting of domestic violence accusations. Amassed significant trial experience on charges statutorily barring dispositions of court supervision. Obtained judicial designation during trial of People's alleged victim witness as a hostile witness allowing cross-examination of the witness in support of verdict sought and reached.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Felony Review Division Experience
Reviewed police reports, witness and victim statements, evidence, and other police investigative materials in approving or denying formal charges in felony cases. Requested and defined the scope of supplemental investigation to be performed by law enforcemment to support charging decisions. Exercised the power of the Grand Jury in drafting and issuing grand jury subpoenae duces tecum in felony investigations. Prepared felony cases for presentation to the Grand Jury, which included drafting multi-count indictments in complicated codefendant and conspiracy-related cases. Prepared and presented sworn witnesses to the Grand Jury in pursuit of true bills of indictment in serious felony matters. After reviewing police evidence, drafted criminal informations in support of judicial approval of arrest warrants on probable cause. Represented the People in felony bond court, at Gerstein hearings and bond review hearings. Made recommendations to the court regarding conditions of bond. Worked as on-call, off-hour, and overnight Assistant State's Attorney point-of-contact for Lake County police in possession of arrestees in domestic battery matters and on probable cause arrests seeking approval of felony charges. Represented the People in weekend bond court. Drafted search warrants, requests for overhears of telephonic and in-person communications, and other documents requiring judicial approval of investigative measures in felony cases.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Juvenile Division Experience
Drafted Petitions for Adjudication of Wardship brought by the People in juvenile delinquency proceedings pursuant to Article V of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Reviewed police reports and written investigations into crimes allegedly committed by juveniles in reaching and making charging decisions both in misdemeanor and felony cases. Cases reviewed and charged included matters involving body harm, property damage, theft, burlgary, trespassing, stolen vehicle, disorderly conduct, sex offenses, child pornography, possession of cannabis, possession of controlled substances, and other alleged crimes. Represented the People in juvenile detention hearings and in all phases of delinquency court procedure, including arraignment, pretrial, conditions of pretrial release, motions and hearings, trial, sentencing, and sentence violation proceedings.
Participated in proceedings resulting in continuances under supervision, adjudications of delinquency and sentences of probation, sentences to outpatient and inpatient treatment, including the Lake County residential FACE-IT program, and commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice (juvenile D.O.C.). Handled habitual juvenile offender, extended jurisdiction, discretionary and presumptive transfer, and excluded jurisdiction cases. Acquired trial experience in juvenile court proceedings including a trial to verdict in a reckless homicide case. Drafted petitions in child abuse, neglect and dependency proceedings, as well as in proceedings seeking termination of parental rights. Worked closely with the Guardian ad Litem and many representatives of DCFS in protecting child victims. Awarded the Lake County Juvenile Justice Award for work done in forwarding the interests of justice in Lake County juvenile court.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Felony Drug Division Experience
Independently managed felony drug prosecutions caseload in a felony courtroom for approximately two years. Handled all aspects of pretrial procedure in serious drug cases charged under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, Illinois Cannabis Control Act and Illinois Methamphetamine and Community Control Act. Charges resolved included many class X and class super X felonies, codefendant cases, and charges based on accountability and conspiracy theories. Prosecuted matters involving trafficking of controlled substances across State lines. Pretrial practice included reviewing indictments, preparing disclosure to the accused, complying with ongoing felony discovery compliance, arraignment, bond reviews, pretrial conferences, plea bargaining, participation in 402 conferences, motion and hearing practice, including motions to quash arrest and suppress evidence. Cases prosecuted involved frequent use of search warrants and overhears. Worked directly with agents of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the Waukegan Neighborhood Enforcement Team in drug case investigations and preparation of drug cases for trial. Handled through disposition one 1,000 pill MDMA case and one 5,000 pill MDMA case. Reached jury verdicts sought in multiple kilo-plus cocaine cases, other class X charges, including home invasion, attempted first degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and armed violence. Prepared and qualified as expert witnesses at trial multiple chemists from the Northern Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory, a witness certfied as an expert in drug dealing and distribution, and a witness in the field of DNA analysis, identification and matching. Obtained approval from State's Attorney's Office to interface with U.S. Marshall's Service to secure international arrest warrant ("red notice") held by Interpol for a defendant who fled after first day of this attorney's multi-day jury trial and who was convicted and sentenced in absentia. Worked with U.S. Marshall's Service in subsequent apprehension of said defendant in Eastern Europe, extradition to United States, leading to imposition of multi-decade prison sentence previously imposed.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office General Felony Division Experience
Worked as full felony Assistant responsible for general felony caseload. Handled all aspects of felony trial court prosecution including weekly arraignment call, discovery compliance, pretrial conferences, plea bargaining, 402 conferences, bond reviews, motion practice, trial practice, and sentence violation proceedings. Subject matters prosecuted included theft, burglary, robbery, armed robbery, forgery, aggravated battery, identity theft, armed violence, attempted first degree murder, first degree murder, sex cases, including with child victims, stolen vehicles, financial crimes, and others. Additional bench and jury trial experience in a variety of felony cases.
cur•ric•u•lum vi•tae
Lead Attorney Matt Hoffman's Former Prosecutorial Experience, Division-by-Division, in the Lake County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Traffic & DUI Division Experience
Reported daily to traffic and DUI court in the criminal courts building in Waukegan, Illinois. Represented the People in petty offense and misdemeanor traffic, alcohol and drug-based DUI cases, and in driving on suspended and revoked license proceedings. Managed arraignment call, status and pretrial conferences. Also prosecuted State traffic charges on assignment to the various Lake County traffic branch courts. Maintained responsibility for and participated in discovery compliance, status and pretrial practice, motion practice, statutory summary suspension rescission hearings, trial, and sentencing. Accumulated significant bench and jury trial experience in traffic and DUI court, and separate jury trial experience in felony criminal court.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Misdemeanor Division Experience
Working in the State's Attorney's Office in Waukegan, Illinois, reviewed police reports, exercising prosecutorial discretion in approving or denying formal charges. Formally charged a wide array of misdemeanor cases and drafted sworn informations and complaints. Filed charges at arraignment, maintaining compliance with discovery rules and supplemental discovery orders of the court. Represented the People at arraignment, status and pretrial proceedings, and various pretrial motions brought under the Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure. Accumulated significant experience with pretrial negotiating and plea bargaining in jailable offenses. Engaged in complicated written motion and trial practice, including in matters covered by the press. Initiated sentence revocation proceedings by drafting revocation petitions prosecuted in court. Corresponded with victims of crime and pursued restitution on their behalves. Prepared police and lay witnesses for trial. Developed additional bench and jury trial experience in different matters charged under the Illinois Criminal Code.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Domestic Violence Division Experience
Transitioned into domestic violence courtroom from general misdemeanor prosecutions division. Took co-responsibility with a small unit of other prosecutors for misdemeanor charges involving domestic relationships, including child victims. Prosecuted domestic battery charges alleging offensive physical contact and many alleging the unlawful infliction of varying degrees of bodily harm. Worked directly with victim-witness counselors of the State's Attorney's Office in maintaining communication with alleged victims. Worked with investigators in tracking witnesses avoiding trial subpoenae and in serving them to compel appearance in court. Developed understanding of special trial evidentiary rules pertaining to admissibility of prior bad acts evidence and treatment of hostile witnesses under oath. Prosecuted violation of order of protection, telephone harassment, and interference with reporting of domestic violence accusations. Amassed significant trial experience on charges statutorily barring dispositions of court supervision. Obtained judicial designation during trial of People's alleged victim witness as a hostile witness allowing cross-examination of the witness in support of verdict sought and reached.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Felony Review Division Experience
Reviewed police reports, witness and victim statements, evidence, and other police investigative materials in approving or denying formal charges in felony cases. Requested and defined the scope of supplemental investigation to be performed by law enforcement to support charging decisions. Exercised the power of the Grand Jury in drafting and issuing grand jury subpoenae duces tecum in felony investigations. Prepared felony cases for presentation to the Grand Jury, which included drafting multi-count indictments in complicated codefendant and conspiracy-related cases. Prepared and presented sworn witnesses to the Grand Jury in pursuit of true bills of indictment in serious felony matters. After reviewing police evidence, drafted criminal informations in support of judicial approval of arrest warrants on probable cause. Represented the People in felony bond court, at Gerstein hearings and bond review hearings. Made recommendations to the court regarding conditions of bond. Worked as on-call, off-hour, and overnight Assistant State's Attorney point-of-contact for Lake County police in possession of arrestees in domestic battery matters and on probable cause arrests seeking approval of felony charges. Represented the People in weekend bond court. Drafted search warrants, requests for overhears of telephonic and in-person communications, and other documents requiring judicial approval of investigative measures in felony cases.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Juvenile Division Experience
Drafted Petitions for Adjudication of Wardship brought by the People in juvenile delinquency proceedings pursuant to Article V of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Reviewed police reports and written investigations into crimes allegedly committed by juveniles in reaching and making charging decisions both in misdemeanor and felony cases. Cases reviewed and charged included matters involving body harm, property damage, theft, burglary, trespassing, stolen vehicle, disorderly conduct, sex offenses, child pornography, possession of cannabis, possession of controlled substances, and other alleged crimes. Represented the People in juvenile detention hearings and in all phases of delinquency court procedure, including arraignment, pretrial, conditions of pretrial release, motions and hearings, trial, sentencing, and sentence violation proceedings. Participated in proceedings resulting in continuances under supervision, adjudications of delinquency and sentences of probation, sentences to outpatient and inpatient treatment, including the Lake County residential FACE-IT program, and commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice (juvenile D.O.C.). Handled habitual juvenile offender, extended jurisdiction, discretionary and presumptive transfer, and excluded jurisdiction cases. Acquired trial experience in juvenile court proceedings including a trial to verdict in a reckless homicide case. Drafted petitions in child abuse, neglect and dependency proceedings, as well as in proceedings seeking termination of parental rights. Worked closely with the Guardian ad Litem and many representatives of DCFS in protecting child victims. Awarded the Lake County Juvenile Justice Award for work done in forwarding the interests of justice in Lake County juvenile court.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office Felony Drug Division Experience
Independently managed felony drug prosecutions caseload in a felony courtroom for approximately two years. Handled all aspects of pretrial procedure in serious drug cases charged under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, Illinois Cannabis Control Act and Illinois Methamphetamine and Community Control Act. Charges resolved included many class X and class super X felonies, codefendant cases, and charges based on accountability and conspiracy theories. Prosecuted matters involving trafficking of controlled substances across State lines. Pretrial practice included reviewing indictments, preparing disclosure to the accused, complying with ongoing felony discovery compliance, arraignment, bond reviews, pretrial conferences, plea bargaining, participation in 402 conferences, motion and hearing practice, including motions to quash arrest and suppress evidence. Cases prosecuted involved frequent use of search warrants and overhears. Worked directly with agents of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the Waukegan Neighborhood Enforcement Team in drug case investigations and preparation of drug cases for trial. Handled through disposition one 1,000 pill MDMA case and one 5,000 pill MDMA case. Reached jury verdicts sought in multiple kilo-plus cocaine cases, other class X charges, including home invasion, attempted first degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and armed violence. Prepared and qualified as expert witnesses at trial multiple chemists from the Northern Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory, a witness certified as an expert in drug dealing and distribution, and a witness in the field of DNA analysis, identification and matching. Obtained approval from State's Attorney's Office to interface with U.S. Marshall's Service to secure international arrest warrant ("red notice") held by Interpol for a defendant who fled after first day of this attorney's multi-day jury trial and who was convicted and sentenced in absentia. Worked with U.S. Marshall's Service in subsequent apprehension of said defendant in Eastern Europe, extradition to United States, leading to imposition of multi-decade prison sentence previously imposed.
Attorney Matt Hoffman's Lake County State's Attorney's Office General Felony Division Experience
Worked as full felony Assistant responsible for general felony caseload. Handled all aspects of felony trial court prosecution including weekly arraignment call, discovery compliance, pretrial conferences, plea bargaining, 402 conferences, bond reviews, motion practice, trial practice, and sentence violation proceedings. Subject matters prosecuted included theft, burglary, robbery, armed robbery, forgery, aggravated battery, identity theft, armed violence, attempted first degree murder, first degree murder, sex cases, including with child victims, stolen vehicles, financial crimes, and others. Additional bench and jury trial experience in a variety of felony cases.
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HoffmanLawA Defense Law Firm Built on a Platform of Former Prosecution Experience
A Defense Law Firm Built on a
Platform of Former Prosecution Experience
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HoffmanLawExperienced Attorney Defending Clients Against Criminal DUI & Traffic Charges at ALL Lake County Illinois Courthouses
Waukegan Courthouse
18 North County Street
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
Mundelein Courthouse
105 East State Route 83
Mundelein, Illinois 60060
Park City Courthouse
301 South Greenleaf Avenue
Park City, Illinois 60085
Round Lake Beach Courthouse
1792 Nicole Lane
Round Lake Beach, Illinois 60073
Vernon Hills Courthouse
24647 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061
Defending Clients Against Criminal Charges at the Lake County Courthouses in Waukegan, Mundelein, Park City, Round Lake Beach & Vernon Hills
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FREE CASE EVALUATION
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HoffmanLawAttorney Matt Hoffman of the HoffmanLaw Office believes in your success. Over many years, he has developed a specific style of legal advocacy set in place to pursue your success. This style is both deliberative and active, studious and aggressive, independent and client-collaborative. Matt emphasizes listening to you. He wants to know your version of the events that led to your criminal charges. He understands listening to you describe what happened helps him develop insight into solving the unique problems your case presents.
Matt brings a strong and lengthy record of experience to his work as a Lake County criminal defense attorney. This experience comes from the years he has spent working both sides of the criminal courtroom, first while prosecuting Lake County criminal cases and then in the many years since while defending them. This almost two decades of courtroom experience is a powerful asset. Yet, it comprises only one part of an overall larger skill set Matt will bring to resolving your Lake County criminal case.
Thoroughness
Matt believes a criminal defense attorney must be thorough and should leave no fact unexamined in criminal court. He knows making assumptions about the facts or the law can be hazardous to the defense case. So, he endeavors not to make them. He understands questioning the prosecution's purported evidence is mandatory. He thinks creating and exposing weaknesses in the prosecution's evidence is a basic function of a criminal defense lawyer. He embraces the idea that a defense attorney's work on a case simply does not end until the case is resolved. He holds that until there is resolution, the defense attorney must remain engaged in client advocacy and in pursuit of the best possible result.
Ingenuity
Matt believes it is the criminal defense attorney's job to create solutions. In working toward solutions, he pursues ingenuity. He understands taking over a criminal case requires the criminal defense attorney to engage in real world problem solving in a situation where the attorney's decisions can have a significant effect on a client's life. He respects that clients will benefit from or bear the impact of the attorney's decisions and strategic recommendations. For this reason especially, he works hard to identify the controlling issues in a case and to explore and devise creative and powerfully effective methods in addressing them. Matt has learned that an effective criminal defense attorney is a skilled decision maker and knows what battles to pick. Through years of experience, he has discovered that not every battle that may be fought must be fought in any given case. He has realized that fighting the correct battles and fighting them well is the pathway to criminal court success.
Commitment
Matt believes a criminal defense attorney must demonstrate commitment. He accepts that seeking solutions in a criminal court setting is an adversarial process. He understands that at the very heart of this process is conflict. He knows that, almost always, there will be a competing version of the facts, the prosecution's version and that of the defense. He acknowledges that it is rare that both sides reach complete and total agreement on the facts and issues of any given case. For this reason, he believes the criminal defense attorney must have the confidence and perseverance to advance the facts as he sees them. He has learned that oftentimes these efforts meet resistance, frequently from the prosecution and sometimes even from the presiding judge. Yet, he knows very well that it is the attorney's commitment to his version of the case, especially through adverse circumstances as they arise in court, that can make an enormous difference in the resolution of a client's case. Attorney Matt Hoffman of the HoffmanLaw Office works to adapt to changes in circumstances as the defense evolves, but also seeks to maintain a powerful commitment to client advocacy at all times.
Matt has learned that an effective criminal defense attorney is a skilled decision maker and knows what battles to pick . . . He has realized that fighting the correct battles and fighting them well is the pathway to criminal court success.
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