I recently attended an outstanding seminar offered by the Northwest Suburban Bar Association. One of the topics discussed was the vast array of deferred prosecution programs available in Cook County. Generally a deferred prosecution program is a way of obtaining a dismissal at little or no risk to your client. Programs are available and routinely offered in misdemeanor and felony Court.
As an attorney if I believe that I have a client who is a good candidate for a deferred prosecution such an outcome will generally be my primary objective. Some of the more popular programs in Cook County include the Drug School and Theft Deterrent Programs along with the standard Misdemeanor Deferred Prosecution Program ("MDDP") and Felony Deferred Prosecution Program offered through Branch 9. There are more specific programs aimed at deterring prostitution as well as assisting veterans.
Anytime a defendant has little or no background and is charged with a non-violent crime in Cook County it is my professional opinion that a deferred prosecution should almost always be explored as a possible mode of obtaining a dismissal.