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Dismissed With Prejudice In Illinois

March 29, 2020 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

Dismissed With Prejudice

Illinois law is clear that the State may dismiss a charge “with prejudice” and that the effect of the State’s doing so is to subsequently bar the State from prosecuting the same defendant for the same offense based on the same facts. See People v. Gill, 379 Ill. App. 3d 1000 (2008); People v. Creek, 94 Ill.2d 526, 531 (1983).

However, a state motion to dismiss with prejudice is very uncommon. See also Nolle Prosequi Motions.

By making a motion to dismiss with prejudice, the State is, in effect, barring itself from ever again charging this same defendant with the same crime on the same facts. See Gill, 379 Ill. App.3d 1000.

Dismissal Without Prejudice More Common

Dismissed With Prejudice In Illinois
dismissed with prejudice

Instead when a prosecutor dismisses charges the default is to assume it is doing so “without prejudice.” This is the converse and polar opposite of dismissing with prejudice.

A trial court will generally infer the State’s intent to dismiss without prejudice. The stakes are simply too great to assume otherwise.

Before a trial court may determine that the State is dismissing a charge with prejudice, the prosecutor must clearly and explicitly state that she is doing so. Anything short of such a statement does not constitute a dismissal with prejudice. See Gill, 379 Ill. App.3d 1000.

When The Judge Dismisses Charges

Additionally, sometimes a defendant may file their own motion for dismissal.

If a judge agrees that dismissal is warranted the Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure determines if the dismissal is with or without prejudice. 725 ILCS 5/114-1. Motion to dismiss charge, makes it clear that a…

“Dismissal of the charge upon the grounds set forth in subsections (a)(4) through (a)(11) of this Section shall not prevent the return of a new indictment or the filing of a new charge, and upon such dismissal the court may order that the defendant be held in custody or, if the defendant had been previously released on bail, that the bail be continued for a specified time pending the return of a new indictment or the filing of a new charge.”

725 ILCS 5/114-1(e).

Some Dissmisals Are With Prejudice

Other more serious violations are presumed to be dismissals with prejudice. These include dismissals because of violations in

  • Speedy trial rights
  • Improper joinder
  • Double jeopardy issues
  • Statute of limitations error
  • Immunity agreement violations
  • Intentional or more serious due process violations

See Also These Examples Of When To File A Motion To Dismiss In A Criminal Case

  • Motion To Dismiss Based On Prosecutorial Delay (The Lawson Rule)
  • Procedure For Filing A Motion To Dismiss When The Charging Instrument Is Insufficient
  • What To Do About Fatally Flawed Criminal Charges (Maybe You Shouldn’t File The Motion To Dismiss)
  • Defendant Waited For The Trial To Begin So He Had To Show Prejudice To Win A Dismissal
  • Prosecutors Refusal To Name The Victim In The Indictment Got The Charges Dismissed
  • DUI Dismissed After State Trooper Consistently Refuses To Come To Court
  • Speeding Ticket Dismissed Due To Illinois Supreme Court Rule 552 Violation
  • Speedy Trial Violation Leads To A Motion To Dismiss That Is Granted
  • A Double Jeopardy Violation Means You Better File A Motion To Dismiss
  • Sloppy Police Testimony In The Grand Jury Room May Lead To A Dismissal Of The Charges
  • Failure To Accurately Charge A Defendant May Lead To Dismissal Of The Charges

Win A Dismissal With Prejudice With A Motion To Dismiss

Sample motion to dismiss charges
(Download this motion.)

A case that is dismissed with prejudice can happen on the state’s own motion or a defendant can file a motion to dismiss to force the dismissal.

There is no magic formula outlining what a motion to dismiss should look like. Like most criminal law motions it should track the language in the statute that authorizes the motion and should at a minimum include:

  • A clear statement of what your asking the court to do
  • Citations to the statute that allow you to ask what your asking for
  • Citations to relevant case law that provide further authority for what your asking for
  • The specific facts unique to your case that are relevant to the motion
Download A Sample Motion To Dismiss Charges.

Filed Under: Dismissal

Nolle Prosequi What Does It Mean?

March 28, 2020 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

Nolle Prosecui Is An Illinois Motion To Dismiss A Criminal Charge.

The term nolle prosecui is Latin. It literally means…

unwilling to pursue.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal

Confidential Informant Contract Is Not Honored By The State Dismissal Required

March 25, 2020 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Banks, 2020 IL App (2d) 180509 (March). Episode 754 (Duration 12:48)

Defendants conviction and sentence of 17 years needs is reversed because the state broke their contract with defendant.

Read more

Filed Under: Dismissal

Motion To Dismiss In A Criminal Case

March 18, 2020 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

In a criminal case a defendant may file a motion to dismiss the charges. Although rarely granted, a defendant has the right to file the motion and make an argument for dismissal under certain conditions.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal

A Break Down Of The Illinois Custodial Sexual Misconduct Statute With Michael Wepsiec

November 12, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

Episode 698 (Duration 29:54). Attorney Michael Wepsiec of Murphosboro, Illinois deconstructs the custodial sexual misconduct criminal law statute.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal, Podcast

A Break Down Of The Illinois Custodial Sexual Misconduct Statute With Michael Wepsiec

November 12, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

Episode 698 (Duration 29:54). Attorney Michael Wepsiec of Murphosboro, Illinois deconstructs the custodial sexual misconduct criminal law statute. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal

What To Do About Fatally Flawed Criminal Charges: Alan Downen Interview

October 8, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Rowell, 229 Ill. 2nd 82 (May 2008). Episode 686 (Duration 31:58)

What’s the best way to handle legally insufficient criminal charges? In this episode you get a feel for what it’s like working in the criminal law. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal, Indictment

What To Do About Fatally Flawed Criminal Charges: Alan Downen Interview

October 1, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Rowell, 229 Ill. 2nd 82 (May 2008). Episode 686 (Duration 31:58)

What’s the best way to handle legally insufficient criminal charges? In this episode you get a feel for what it’s like working in the criminal law.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal, Indictment, Podcast

What Is The Practical Effect Of Winning A Motion To Quash An Arrest?

August 19, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Atchison, 2019 IL App (3d) 180183 (July).
People v. Motzko, 2019 IL App (3d) 180184 (August). Episode 665 (Duration 13:17)

Trial judge dismisses a DUI after granting the defendant’s motion to quash. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal, DUI, Search & Seizure

Why It Can’t Be Too Easy To Challenge A Grand Jury Indictment

May 13, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Nolan, 2019 IL App (2d) 180354 (April). Episode 627 (Duration 9:29)

Trial judge grants defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment in part because the officer did not testify in the hearing.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dismissal, Grand Jury, Prosecutorial Misconduct

Prosecutors Questions Could Have Been Presented More Clearly And Completely In The Grand Jury Room

April 16, 2019 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Rebollar-Vergara, 2019 IL App (2d) 140871 (March). Episode 616 (Duration 15:29)

Defendant gets into an argument with a guy and his buddy ups and shoots him, then sloppy questioning happens in the grand jury room. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Accountability, Dismissal, Grand Jury, Podcast

Significance Of The Evidence And Bad Faith Drive Discovery Violation And Destruction Of Evidence Issues

July 25, 2018 By Samuel Partida, Jr.

People v. Cunningham, 2018 IL App (1st) 153367 (June). Episode 517 (Duration 12:37)

Dismissal of the charges was not warranted when police destroyed some of the evidence. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Discovery, Dismissal

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