Man on parole for firearms offense. Arrested and charged for a shooting. Lewis Gainor gets all charges dismissed.

This client was arrested when he was free on mandatory supervised release (MSR), also known as parole, from the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was residing in the northern Chicago suburbs when he was falsely accused on October 1, 2007 of firing weapon at another man. Police officers arrested him for the shooting and locked him in jail. He was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

The State's Attorney sought the maximum penalty for the man, as this current charge would be his second firearms offense. The prosecutor saw him as a repeat offender and wanted the maximum prison sentence.

Lewis Gainor took the case in late 2007. At the time, the man was being held in the custody of the jail for the new offense, waiting for trial. He faced a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years if he were to be found guilty after trial.

Lewis Gainor consulted with his client in jail over many nights, reviewing the case. He determined that it was beatable. So, Lewis Gainor and his client appeared in court on January 28, 2008 for jury trial. On behalf of his client, Lewis Gainor answered, "Ready," for jury trial. The prosecution could not prove the charges, and dismissed the case.