Jorie K. Johnson
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney in Aurora, IL
Aurora, IL 60504
Selected To Rising Stars: 2016 - 2018
- Criminal Defense
- Free Consultation
As founder of the Law Office of Jorie K. Johnson, Ms. Johnson is dedicated to serving clients in multiple counties within Illinois, including but not limited to Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, Kendall, Winnebago, Ogle, Lee, Grundy, LaSalle and Will from her offices in Aurora and Chicago. She focuses her practice on restorative justice (i.e., criminal records law), post-conviction relief and general criminal defense.
Over the course of her career, Ms. Johnson has represented clients in cases involving the following: pending criminal charges ranging from petty traffic offenses to misdemeanors to felonies, both violent and non-violent; expungement, sealing, pardons (including commutations of sentence petitions), and certificates of disability and good conduct, as well as motions to vacate and petitions for relief from judgment. She has been quite successful in obtaining executive clemency with authorization to expunge (some including restoration of firearm ownership privileges) cases from present and past Illinois governors. Ms. Johnson also handles active criminal cases of all levels, including murder, sex offenses, possession of controlled substances and cannabis, theft and/or retail theft, assault, battery, domestic violence and more. Finally, Ms. Johnson assists individuals obtaining and reinstating both their FOID cards and concealed carry permits within Illinois.
Ms. Johnson graduated from the elite Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1992. While working full time as a paralegal/contracts manager, Ms. Johnson graduated from Northwestern University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science majoring in psychology, and minoring in Business. She then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School in 2008.
Ms. Johnson understands that, when they are facing criminal charges, her clients' futures are on the line. As such, she empathetically and analytically listens to her clients and helps them build a strong criminal defense. From the start of each case until its resolution, Ms. Johnson stands by her clients and strives to ensure their rights are upheld. In the case of her post-conviction clients, Ms. Johnson understands that people do make mistakes throughout their lives and she firmly believes that none of us should be judged solely on a moment or two of bad judgment.
A former volunteer with Cabrini Green Legal Aid and First Defense Legal Aid, where she provided pro bono representation to clients for multiple years, Ms. Johnson stays active in the legal community. She is a member of numerous professional associations, including the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association and the Women's Criminal Defense Bar Association.
- 100%Criminal Defense
Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Drug & Alcohol Violations, Expungement, Felony, Misdemeanor, Murder, Parole, Probation, Sex Offenses, Theft, Criminal Domestic Violence
Selections
Super Lawyers: 2021 Rising Stars: 2016 - 2018
To: Jorie K. Johnson
Super Lawyers: Potential Client Inquiry
Additional Sources of Information About Jorie K. Johnson
About Jorie Johnson
Admitted: 2008, Illinois
Professional Webpage: http://www.illinoisexpungementlawyerblog.com/attorney-profil...
Honors/Awards:
- In 2018, Ms. Johnson was named an Illinois "Rising Star" attorney by Thomson Reuters., Illinois Rising Star, Thomson Reuters, 2018
- In 2017, Ms. Johnson was named an Illinois "Rising Star" attorney by Thomson Reuters., Illinois Rising Star, Thomson Reuters, 2017
- In 2016, Ms. Johnson was named an Illinois "Rising Star" attorney by Thomson Reuters., Illinois Rising Star, Thomson Reuters, 2016
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- In April 2020 Ms. Johnson was sworn into the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (general practice)., 2020
- In December 2018 Ms. Johnson was sworn into the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (general practice)., 2018
Bar/Professional Activity:
- American Bar Association, 2020
- Illinois State Bar Association, 2020
- DuPage County Bar Association, 2020
- Women's Criminal Defense Bar Association, 2020
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Volunteer attorney supervisor for Dorothy Brown, Cook County Clerk of Court's Annual Second Chance Summit in Chicago, Illinois., 2018
- First Defense Legal Aid in Chicago, Volunteer Attorney and Part-Time Staff Attorney, 2013
- Pro Bono Attorney for Cabrini Green Legal Aid in Chicago, 2012
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Ms. Johnson was able to seal a client's 2004 conviction for aggravated arson in DuPage County, Illinois, over the State's Attorney's Office's objection and after hearing, on September 2, 2020., 2020
- As of February 17, 2020, Ms. Johnson has gotten a total of ten (10) petitions for executive clemency with authorization to expunge, most with restoration of firearm ownership privileges restored, granted from past and current Illinois governors. She also assisted these clients in pursuing expungement of their respective records in the circuit court where the conviction(s) occurred. The pardoned offenses included non-expungeable misdemeanor and felony offenses, both violent and non-violent; Ms. Johnson sincerely hopes that her work has helped these deserving individuals move forward with their lives., 2020
Representative Clients:
- Ms. Johnson and co-counsel secured a not-guilty verdict on a high-profile murder case in Chicago where client was charged with killing his four (4) month old son while the latter was in his care. The not-guilty verdict included all charges brought against the client and, after a long, arduous battle in court, the client was released from custody and eligible to expunge his record., 2013
- Ms. Johnson and co-counsel, after a four (4) day trial in Cook County, Illinois, received a not-guilty verdict on charges of first-degree murder on a high-profile case where her client was charged with killing a seventeen (17) year old girl. Her client was found guilty on a lesser-included charge of second-degree murder, thus resulting in a much shorter sentence which is currently being served at fifty percent (50%) instead of one hunderd percent (100%). The difference in sentencing, due to Ms. Johnson and her co-counsel's work, was literally decades., 2012
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Ms. Johnson has had numerous in-court victories stemming from plea negotiations due to submission of mitigation on clients' behalves; she was able to get many misdemeanor and felony clients alike into deferred prosecution programs in various counties throughout Illinois, she has negotiated outright dismissal of charges with the prosecution on several cases, and, in genereal, has negotiated many sentences that do not equate to convictions (e.g., deferred prosecution/pre-trial diversion, First Offender Probation, Second Chance Probation, court supervision, etc.) so as to avoid immigration consequences and other negative ramifications for clients., 2020
Educational Background:
- Phillips Exeter Academy, Liberal Arts Graduate, Exeter, NH, 1992
- Northwestern University, Bachelor of Science, Major: Psychology; Minor: Business, Evanston, IL, 2002
Jorie K. Johnson:
Last Updated: 5/18/2021