3 Murder Wins in a Row for Erickson & Oppenheimer
Just 4 weeks ago, Erickson & Oppenheimer, Ltd. scored an unheard of 3rd straight 1st Degree Murder Not-Guilty verdict against the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Olympic boxing hopeful Semajay Thomas was found not-guilty of 1st degree murder by a jury of 12 after only 50 minutes. Semajay Thomas (semajaythomas.net) was just 15 years old and ranked number 5 in the world in his weight class when he was wrongly accused by several members of the Satin’s Disciples street gang of beating a 50-year old man to death on a dark street on Chicago’s near-west side. Top-shelf lawyering by lead attorney Michael Oppenheimer saved young Semajay’s life and paved the way for Semajay to go on to win the U.S.A. National 141 lbs. Boxing Championship in Colorado Springs this summer. Semajay is favored to win the 2012 title in March which will secure his place on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.
In August of 2011, Erickson & Oppenheimer, Ltd., after 6 hours of jury deliberations, won another stunning victory in the 1st Degree Murder trial of People v. Michael Porche. Porche was accused of shooting the victim at point-blank range in a dispute over drug sales territory on Chicago’s west side. A video surveillance camera captured the shooting on tape, but Michael Oppenheimer and Jon Erickson destroyed the prosecution’s eye-witnesses with blistering cross-examination. The jury saw it Erickson & Oppenheimer’s way and Michael Porche was released from custody within hours of the not-guilty verdict.
In People v. James Brooks, a Markham jury took only 1 hour to find Jimmy Brooks not-guilty of 1st Degree Murder after an intense, rough battle against Cook County Prosecutors. “Shame on them, shame on them,” boomed Michael Oppenheimer as he pointed his finger at silent prosecutors in his closing argument. “How dare they ask you to find this man guilty?,” he demanded. Jurors agreed and set Jimmy Brooks free to reunite with his tearful family.
Topics: Chicago Drunk Driving / Criminal Defense Law
