Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

1st degree murder

My brother and 3 of his friends had an altercation with this guy. During this altercation one of the friends had a knife and stabbed the guy hours later the guy was pronounced dead. The guy that actually stabbed the man has gave the police a written confession stating that no one was aware that he had the knife and that he actually did it. Can my brother still be charged with the murder because he was there or like whats the consequences he can face ?


Asked on 4/29/09, 5:40 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
George Zuganelis Zuganelis & Zuganelis, Attorneys at Law, P.C.

Re: 1st degree murder

There is the law of accountability. Your brother may be accountable for what the offender did. If your brother engaged in the fight, he could be held accountable. The good thing is that the offender gave a statement that no one knew he had a knife. That doesn't mean that he won't be charged. Whether he had anything to do with the murder is for a trial to determine. The consequences are 20 years to natural life in prison. There is no good time allowed, so he'd have to serve every day of the sentence. Natural life means that he'll die in prison.

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Answered on 4/29/09, 5:53 pm


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