Mccollum Steven P

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Steven P. McCollum, P.C.Criminal DefenseJuvenile Court - Defense of Minors Charged With CrimesDUI / Reckless HomicideD.C.F.S. AppealsBackgroundCase ExperienceBreathalyzer TestsLegal Fees and Other CostsLegal BiographyResourcesContact / Directions

Chief of the Juvenile Trial Division for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office
Former Founding Member of the Lake County Domestic Violence Council with Extensive Experience Defending Domestic Battery cases and Litigating Domestic Violence Orders of Protection
Extensive Trial Experience Including Multiple Trials of First Degree Murder Death Penalty Cases, Reckless Homicide, DUI, Domestic Battery, Juvenile Court Cases, Drug Charges, Sexual Assault, Felony and Misdemeanor Cases
Extensive Experience in Juvenile Court Proceedings including Petition for Adjudication of Wardship, Juvenile Delinquency Petitions, Juvenile Neglect and Abuse Petitions; Many Appeals of DCFS Indicated Finding of Abuse or Neglect

Member of the Lake County Bar Association's Board of Directors
Member of the 19th Judicial Circuit Capital Litigation Trial Bar Screening Committee (Appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court)
Member of Lake County Sexual Assault Coordinating Council

Welcome to the Law Offices of Steven P. McCollum, P.C. Steve McCollum is a criminal defense lawyer in Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois. As an attorney with over 29 years of trial experience prosecuting and defending criminal cases Waukegan, Illinois, Steve McCollum is available to handle felony, misdemeanor, juvenile delinquency, DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs), and traffic cases. Steve has practiced as a lawyer as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney in Waukegan, Illinois, the county seat of Lake County, Illinois.

If you or someone you care about has a Criminal, Juvenile, DUI, or other case, it can be difficult to choose between the many attorneys that claim to have the competence and expertise necessary to successfully defend the case. It is vital that you look at the background and experience of the lawyer you are considering hiring. There is no worse feeling than the realization in the middle of your case that your lawyer didn't have the experience necessary to competently defend you.
What qualities and experience should you be looking for in a lawyer to defend you or a loved one against a Criminal, DUI or Juvenile Court case:

Does the lawyer have extensive, practical experience in the defense of somone charged with a DUI, or the particular type of Felony, Misdemeanor or Juvenile case you have? A lawyer who has worked for years -- arguing motions, presenting witnesses, negotiating dispositions -- will know what is the best way to defend you. Different circumstances, clients, and prosecutors require different tactics, and an experienced attorney doesn't make the mistake of either being too aggressive or too accomodating when dealing with the State.

Has the lawyer been both a prosecutor and a defense attorney? Lawyers who have extensive prosecution experience know how to attack the State's case, know the police departments and police officers, and know the Judges you will appear before. They have presented witnesses and experts in court and know what makes a case weak or strong.

Does the lawyer know the court system in Waukegan where Felony, Misdemeanor and DUI cases are heard in Lake County? A lawyer who has years of involvement in the Court system through the Lake County Bar Association and other committees and groups will have a much better knowledge of the people and procedures in Lake County.

If the case involves your minor child, has the lawyer ever been a juvenile court prosecutor or defense lawyer in the Lake County Juvenile Court in Vernon Hills, Illinois? Juvenile court is very different than adult court, and each Juvenile Court is different. It is important to know the rules, procedures, and personnel in that court system.

The primary focus of Steve McCollum's law practice is on the criminal defense of Felony, Misdemeanor, Juvenile, DUI, and related matters such as Domestic Violence Orders of Protection. Steve McCollum's experience as a criminal lawyer has included 16 years as a prosecutor of Felony, Misdemeanor, DUI, and Juvenile cases, including 12 years as a supervisor in the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. It also includes 11 years as a criminal defense lawyer defending criminal Felony, Misdemeanor, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI), and Juvenile cases of all types in Lake County, Illinois.

Steve was the Chief Deputy State's Attorney for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office in Waukegan, Illinois. In that capacity he supervised all criminal prosecutors and prosecutions in Lake County, while also handling many of the most serious First Degree Murder, White Collar Theft, and Sexual Assault cases. He tried many jury trials, including trials involving prosecutions for First Degree Murder (including seven Death Penalty cases), Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, Reckless Homicide, Drug Delivery and Possession Cases, and Financial Crime (Theft) cases.

Other positions held by Steve McCollum in the Lake County State's Attorney's Office included being the Chief of the Felony Review Division, Chief of the Misdemeanor and Traffic Division, and Chief of the Juvenile Trial Division. In those positions Steve handled Grand Jury matters, Reckless Homicide and serious accident cases, DUI and related charges, and all juvenile delinquency, neglect and abuse cases.

As a defense attorney Steve has successfully defended people charged with First Degree Murder, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault and Abuse, Reckless Homicide, Child Pornography, large-scale white collar financial crimes (embezzlement), drug charges (controlled substance and cannabis / marijuana), DUI and Aggravated DUI, Battery, Aggravated Battery and Domestic Battery, Violation of Order of Protection, Burglary and many other types of cases.

Steve is the current Chairman of the Lake County Bar Association's Criminal Trials and Appeals Committee, a position he previously held on several occasions. He is active member of the Lake County Bar Association committees, including serving on its Board of Directors.

As a Member of the Illinois State Bar Association Steve has been appointed to three terms and is currently a member of the 19th Judicial Circuit (Lake and McHenry Counties) Death Penalty Qualification Screening Committee by the Illinois Supreme Court. This three person committee determines whether local attorneys meet the qualifications necessary to handle death penalty cases in Lake and McHenry counties. He was a founding member of the Lake County Domestic Violence Council which set up procedures for the police, prosecutors and the courts for domestic battery cases. He was a member of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force. He has been a speaker at several seminars concerning Criminal Law and Juvenile Law for the Lake County Bar Association. He is currently on the Illinois Supreme Court's local ordinance rules committee.

What is most important to you is that this experience translates into results. Steve has repeatedly convinced Judges to suppress evidence resulting in his client's criminal charges being dismissed. His past experience working with prosecutors and police has enabled him to convince prosecutors to dismiss cases against his clients. His experience in using and cross-examining expert and other professional witnesses, such as police officers, doctors, and laboratory personnel, has resulted in repeated findings of "not guilty" in trials in the Lake County court system. Even in cases where there has been substantial evidence against his clients, Steve has convinced prosecutors to reduce charges so that the result was a disposition of the case that didn't affect his clients' lives on a long-term basis.
All clients of the Law Offices of Steven P. McCollum, P.C. are treated in a courteous, professional manner. We truly care about what happens to our clients and do our best vigorously defend them and solve their problems. To do that, Steve McCollum and his staff use a combination of experience, training, and compassion.

In addition to criminal and juvenile matters, the Law Offices of Steven P. McCollum, P.C. also handles civil litigation, including personal injury, divorce, and other legal matters.

If you have any type of legal matter, please call for an appointment. There is no charge for the initial consultation. If we are unable to handle your case, we will refer you to an attorney who has the experience and expertise necessary for your needs.

Steve McCollum is a well respected Lake County, Illinois criminal defense and juvenile defense lawyer, with over 25 years of experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney representing both adult and juvenile clients concerning cases throughout Northeastern Illinois, including the cities of Antioch, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Fox Lake, Grayslake, Gurnee, Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Villa, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lindenhurst, Long Grove, Mundelein, Round Lake Area, Spring Grove, Vernon Hills, Wauconda, Waukegan, Zion, and all other areas of Lake County, Illinois in the areas of felony and misdemeanor criminal defense, DUI defense, and Juvenile Law.