S.T. Allen Law, P.C.

Background and experience

• Former Cook County Assistant State's Attorney (Criminal Trial Division):
• Prosecuted thousands of criminal cases over six years in the State's Attorney's Office.
• Took hundreds of cases to trial, including over 300 Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI) charges.
• Entrusted to charge all felonies in more than 30 municipalities, from serious offenses such as murder to financial crimes such as forgery.
• Gained detailed knowledge of how cases are investigated, charged, and prosecuted.

• Transition to defense and civil practice:
• Uses his experience as a prosecutor to identify weaknesses in the government's case and defend clients facing criminal charges.
• Focuses his current practice on civil rights, criminal defense, civil litigation, and personal injury matters.

• Litigation history:
• Litigating in courtrooms since 2006.
• Has extensive trial, motion, and hearing experience in Illinois courts.

Academic and professional roles

• Adjunct Professor: Serves as an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University College of Law.
• Legal training: Has led training sessions for fellow prosecutors and police officers.

Education

• J.D., Howard University School of Law – Public Interest Fellowship Recipient.
• B.S., Xavier University of Louisiana.

Professional affiliations and recognition

• Affiliations:
• Cook County Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity, Inc.

• Recognition:
• Recognized by peers in the National Trial Lawyers "Top 100" (as stated on the firm's website).

Commitment to clients

Attorney Allen is described by the firm as a tireless advocate and legal servant for clients in more than 100 municipalities across the Chicagoland area, dedicated to protecting civil rights and pursuing just outcomes in both criminal and civil matters.

The firm has litigated in courtrooms since 2006 and has handled thousands of cases and hundreds of trials, hearings, and motions.

Primary practice areas

Civil rights

• Represents clients whose constitutional or statutory civil rights may have been violated.
• Matters can include discrimination based on race, sex, age, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics.
• Handles claims involving unreasonable searches and seizures, excessive force or abuse by public officials, cruel and unusual punishment, and discriminatory treatment in employment or public services.

Criminal defense (state)

• Defends individuals charged with misdemeanors and felonies in Illinois state courts.
• Experience includes prosecuting and defending a wide range of charges, from DUI to serious violent offenses.
• Attorney Allen previously worked in the Cook County State's Attorney's Criminal Trial Division and has tried hundreds of DUI cases and many other criminal matters.

DUI and traffic-related offenses

• Handles Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol charges and related traffic offenses.
• Draws on experience prosecuting over 300 DUI cases to challenge improper stops, testing procedures, and other weaknesses in the prosecution's case.

Violent crimes

• Represents individuals accused of serious violent offenses, including armed robbery, arson and aggravated arson, and vehicular hijacking.
• Advises clients on the potential penalties for these Class 1, Class 2, and Class X felonies under Illinois law.

Federal crimes

• Represents individuals charged in federal criminal cases.
• Handles matters such as white-collar offenses and other federal charges that are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in federal court.

Drug crimes

• Defends clients facing state and federal drug charges, including possession, distribution, manufacturing, and conspiracy.
• Advises on issues such as mandatory minimum sentences tied to drug type and quantity.

Expungements and record clearing

• Assists clients with clearing or limiting public access to qualifying criminal records in Illinois.
• Advises on options such as expungement, sealing, and (where appropriate) executive clemency.

Personal injury

• Represents clients who have been injured due to the negligence or wrongful conduct of others.
• Handles matters such as accidents and other injury claims in civil court.

Civil litigation

• Handles a range of civil disputes in Illinois courts.
• Guides clients through every step of the litigation process, from filing a complaint through hearings, motions, negotiation, and trial when needed.

Geographic coverage

S.T. Allen Law, P.C. serves clients throughout Chicagoland, including more than 100 municipalities across Cook, DuPage, and Will counties. Example locations mentioned on the firm's website include:

• Chicago
• Maywood
• Evanston
• Berwyn
• Park Ridge
• Skokie
• Harvey
• Markham
• River Forest
• Wheaton
• Bolingbrook
• Joliet
• Romeoville

Contact details

• Phone: +1 (708) 960-0113
• Email: sallen@attorneyshaytallen.com

These contact details are taken directly from the firm's website.

Office hours

According to the firm's website, standard office hours are:

• Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Saturday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Sunday: Closed

Clients and prospective clients should call or email to confirm availability for specific dates and times.

Service area

S.T. Allen Law, P.C. serves clients throughout the Chicagoland area, including more than 100 municipalities across Cook, DuPage, and Will counties. Examples named on the website include:

• Chicago
• Maywood
• Evanston
• Berwyn
• Park Ridge
• Skokie
• Harvey
• Markham
• River Forest
• Wheaton
• Bolingbrook
• Joliet
• Romeoville

The firm is proud to serve clients across this wider region.

Consultations

The website invites prospective clients to contact the firm for a free initial consultation to discuss their situation.

Important disclaimer about attorney–client relationship

Based on the disclaimer text on the firm's website:

• Viewing the website does not create an attorney–client relationship. Simply visiting or reading the website does not mean S.T. Allen Law, P.C. represents you.
• Submitting a contact form does not create an attorney–client relationship. Completing an online form on the website does not mean the firm has agreed to take your case or to represent you.
• An attorney–client relationship with S.T. Allen Law, P.C. is formed only if and when the firm agrees to take your case and confirms representation, such as through an engagement agreement or other direct confirmation from the firm.

Anyone seeking legal help should contact the firm directly and not assume representation until it has been explicitly confirmed by S.T. Allen Law, P.C.

Civil rights FAQs

Examples of civil rights violations

Examples of situations that may involve civil rights violations, as listed on the firm's website, include:

• Unreasonable searches and seizures.
• Cruel and unusual punishment.
• Losing a job or being passed over for a promotion due to discrimination.
• Abuse by a public official.
• Discrimination in services or treatment based on a superficial quality or belief (such as race, sex, age, religion, or disability).

Who protects civil rights?

The website notes that civil rights are personal rights guaranteed and protected by:

• The U.S. Constitution; and
• Federal laws enacted by Congress, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Examples of civil rights

Examples of civil rights listed on the firm's website include:

• Freedom of speech and of the press.
• Freedom of religion.
• The right to vote.
• Freedom from unwarranted searches of a home or property.
• The right to a fair court trial.
• The right to remain silent in a police interrogation.

What is a Section 1983 claim against police?

The site explains that 42 U.S.C. § 1983 allows people to sue the government for civil rights violations. It applies when someone acting "under color of" state or local law deprives a person of rights created by the U.S. Constitution or federal statutes.

Examples of discrimination in services

Examples given include:

• A correctional facility failing to provide interpreter services to hearing-impaired inmates.
• A police department practice of stopping and interrogating, without cause, all Hispanic males driving on a particular highway.

Expungements and record clearing FAQs

Ways to clear a criminal record in Illinois (as described on the site)

The website lists three main options:

1. Expungement – Erases qualifying arrests, charges, and certain supervisions from your criminal record so it is as if they never happened (with some exceptions for qualified probations).
2. Sealing – Hides your criminal record from most of the public, though law enforcement and certain employers can still see sealed records.
3. Executive clemency (pardon) – If you do not qualify for expungement or sealing, you can apply for a pardon from the Governor. A pardon does not erase or hide a conviction by itself, but a pardon authorizing expungement may allow you to seek expungement afterward.

What can stop someone from expunging their record?

According to the site, reasons include:

• Pending criminal charges.
• Sentences not yet completed (such as parole, probation, or court supervision).
• Eligible court supervisions or qualified probations where the required waiting period has not yet passed.

Who qualifies for expungement?

The website explains that:

• If your record includes arrests, charges, supervisions, or qualified probations that were completed successfully, you may be able to apply to have those criminal records expunged.
• If there are convictions on your record that are not eligible for expungement, you may be able to apply to have eligible records sealed instead.

Records that cannot be sealed (examples)

The site notes that some arrests, charges, and sentences cannot be sealed, including, among others:

• Minor traffic offenses and certain driving offenses.
• Domestic battery.
• Sexual offenses.
• Violations of orders of protection or no-contact orders.
• Certain animal-related offenses.
• Certain new felony convictions after other felony convictions have already been sealed (which may result in unsealing prior sealed felonies).

Criminal defense, DUI, and other FAQs

Violent crimes

• Armed robbery: Described as a Class X felony. Additional years (15, 20, or 25-to-life) can be added to a sentence depending on how a firearm is used and whether it causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death.
• Arson: A Class 2 felony.
• Residential or place-of-worship arson: A Class 1 felony.
• Aggravated arson: A Class X felony.
• Vehicular hijacking ("car jacking"): Taking a motor vehicle from someone by force or threat of force; listed as a Class 1 felony.

Federal and state court basics

• Cases from Chicago may be heard in courts such as:
• George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago.
• Fifth Municipal District Court Facility in Bridgeview.
• Second Municipal District Court Facility in Skokie.
• The U.S. Attorney's Office represents the United States in federal cases arising under federal law.
• State and local prosecutors (such as State's Attorneys or district attorneys) represent the state in cases arising under state law. Some conduct may be prosecuted under both state and federal law.

DUI-related information (as described)

• Legal BAC limits in Illinois:
• Drivers under age 21: 0.00
• School bus drivers: 0.00
• Commercial driver's license holders: 0.04
• Drivers age 21 and over: 0.08
• License consequences:
• Refusing or failing chemical testing can lead to a statutory summary suspension.
• First-time DUI offenders may be eligible for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit.
• Repeat offenders may be eligible for a Restricted Driving Permit.
• Estimated total average cost of a DUI conviction in Illinois (as listed): $18,130.

Drug crimes information (as described)

• Examples of drug amounts associated with mandatory minimums listed on the website include:
• LSD: 1 gram
• Marijuana: 100 plants or 100 kilograms
• Crack cocaine: 5 grams
• Powder cocaine: 500 grams
• Heroin: 100 grams
• Methamphetamine: 10 grams
• PCP: 10 grams
• A serious drug offense under state law generally involves manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
• Possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs is prohibited by federal law and can carry strict penalties, including mandatory prison terms in some cases.

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This FAQ content is drawn from the firm's published website material and is not tailored legal advice. For advice on a specific situation, clients should contact S.T. Allen Law, P.C. directly.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.