Defending Freedom

Can Contacting the Accuser Hurt My Case? Attorneys Chris Combs and Joshua Boardman from Combs Waterkotte discuss everything you need to know about Illinois sex crime charges, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, and more.Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers in IllinoisCombs Waterkotte is a leading sex crimes defense law firm serving communities throughout Illinois and Missouri. Our sex crime defense attorneys fight to protect your freedom, constitutional rights, and future. Our exceptional record and over 600 reviews speak for themselves.If you are facing sex crime charges in Illinois, we can help. Call...

What if the Allegation Comes From a Breakup or Divorce? Attorneys Chris Combs and Joshua Boardman from Combs Waterkotte discuss everything you need to know about Illinois sex crime charges, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, and more.If an allegation arises during a breakup or divorce in Illinois, it may be connected to disputes involving child custody, property, or finances. Courts take these allegations seriously, and they can complicate both criminal and family court proceedings. Document any inconsistencies in the accuser's account, preserve all relevant communications, and inform your attorney immediately. Your lawyer can investigate the...

What if the Accusation Is Retaliation or Revenge? Attorneys Chris Combs and Joshua Boardman from Combs Waterkotte discuss everything you need to know about Illinois sex crime charges, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, and more.If you suspect the accusation is retaliation or revenge in Illinois, document everything, including messages, interactions, or evidence of potential motives, and share this information with your attorney immediately. Retaliatory accusations can sometimes be challenged through inconsistencies in the accuser's story or evidence of ulterior motives. Your attorney may use this information to challenge credibility or establish potential bias. Do not...

A defense lawyer can challenge a false allegation by:Finding alibis (receipts, GPS records, witnesses).Exposing inconsistencies in the accuser's story.Presenting contradictory evidence (texts, emails, videos).Identifying potential motives for false accusations (revenge, custody battles).Highlighting weaknesses or gaps in the physical evidence.Using expert testimony.Your lawyer will thoroughly investigate the allegations, challenge the prosecution's evidence, and work to establish reasonable doubt.Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer in IllinoisCombs Waterkotte is a leading criminal and felony defense law firm serving Chicago, Cook County, and communities throughout Illinois and Missouri....

What if the Accusation Is Connected to Child Custody? Attorneys Chris Combs and Joshua Boardman from Combs Waterkotte discuss everything you need to know about Illinois sex crime charges, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, and more.If the accusation is tied to child custody in Illinois, it can seriously impact your case. Courts prioritize the child's safety, and even unproven allegations may influence custody decisions. Document all interactions, preserve evidence, and inform your attorney immediately. Your attorney can evaluate the accusation's credibility and relevance to custody proceedings. Avoid direct contact with the accuser unless permitted and...

Could Lindsay Clancy be found NOT GUILTY based on the evidence?In this video, a former police officer turned private investigator breaks down the Lindsay Clancy case from an investigative perspective. He examines the evidence, key details surrounding the case, and why the facts may support a not guilty verdict.This isn't about ignoring the tragedy of what happened. It's about examining how the criminal justice system determines guilt, intent, and criminal responsibility, and whether the evidence actually meets the legal burden required for a conviction.Watch the full breakdown and decide for...

Combs Waterkotte is a leading criminal defense law firm serving Missouri and Illinois, as well as clients nationwide facing federal criminal charges. Our criminal defense attorneys fight to protect your freedom and constitutional rights, pursuing justice and the best possible outcome for your case. Our exceptional track record and over 600 reviews speak for themselves. If you are facing criminal charges or have already been arrested, we can help. Call us at (314) 900-HELP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.If you are facing criminal charges in Missouri, the consequences of a conviction can be severe and life-altering...

You've probably heard the classic prison advice: "On your first day, find the biggest guy in the yard and hit him." It's been repeated in movies, TV shows, and prison stories for decades, but is it actually good advice, or could it make your situation a whole lot worse?A former correctional officer explains what would REALLY happen if a new inmate walked into prison and immediately tried to fight the biggest, toughest person they could find. From prison politics and inmate hierarchies to respect, reputation, and the unwritten rules everyone is expected to understand, there's a...

Did Lindsay Clancy admit that she was guilty? Not exactly. People are mistaking a trial strategy for a guilty plea.As the Lindsay Clancy case continues to attract national attention, statements she allegedly made after the deaths of her three children have become a major part of the public conversation. But there’s an important difference between making a statement about what happened and legally admitting guilt.With her defense centered heavily on her mental condition at the time of the killings, understanding the difference between admitting an act and admitting criminal responsibility could be cr...

Are there MAJOR red flags in Patrick Clancy’s timeline of what happened that night? The Lindsay Clancy case has been analyzed from nearly every angle, but the timeline surrounding the deaths of her three children continues to raise important questions. In this video, a former police officer and investigator examines Patrick Clancy’s reported timeline. Investigators know that in cases this serious, seemingly minor details can matter. Timing, phone records, statements, movements, and whether different pieces of evidence corroborate one another can all become important when reconstructing exactly what happened. Do these details reveal genuine inconsistencies investigators should scru...

Was Lindsay Clancy suffering from severe mental illness, and what does the actual evidence tell us? In Part 2 of The Lindsay Clancy Interview Sessions, Andrew Skoklo, a former police officer, Navy veteran, former correctional officer and now investigator, takes a deeper look at one of the most important and controversial questions surrounding the case: Lindsay Clancy’s mental state leading up to the deaths of her three children.We examine the reported evidence surrounding her mental health treatment, medications, behavior, statements, and the circumstances leading up to the tragedy. The discussion also explores how investigators, attorneys, and ul...

The Lindsay Clancy Interview Sessions - Part 1 of 2In this video, Andrew Skoklo - a former police officer, Navy veteran, and correctional officer turned private investigator - breaks down the Lindsay Clancy case from an investigative perspective. He examines the evidence, key details surrounding the case, and why the facts strongly support a not guilty verdict.This isn’t about ignoring the tragedy of what happened. It’s about examining how the criminal justice system determines guilt, intent, and criminal responsibility, and whether the evidence actually meets the legal burden required for a conviction.Su...

Could the murder case against Luigi Mangione get thrown out?Luigi Mangione is facing an enormous legal battle, but some of the most important fights may happen before a jury ever decides whether he is guilty.In this video, Andrew Skoklo, a former police officer turned private investigator, examines the legal issues that could weaken the prosecution’s case, including challenges involving searches, seized evidence, statements to law enforcement, constitutional rights, and whether critical evidence could be suppressed.Could a successful defense challenge seriously damage the murder case against Luigi Mangione? Criminal De...

In this video, a former police officer turned private investigator breaks down the Lindsay Clancy case from an investigative perspective and explains why the jury is taking so long. When a jury spends hours, or even days, deliberating, it’s easy to assume something unusual is happening behind closed doors. But a long deliberation can mean many different things.Are jurors divided? Are they struggling with the evidence? Is one juror holding out? Or are they simply taking their time with an incredibly serious and complicated case?In the Lindsay Clancy case, the jury has to...

Why were crushed-up pills reportedly found in the Lindsay Clancy case?It’s one of the stranger details surrounding the case, and it raises some obvious questions.In this video, Andrew Skoklo, a former police officer turned private investigator, breaks down the Lindsay Clancy case from an investigative perspective.With Clancy’s mental health, medications, and state of mind already playing such a major role in the case, the reported discovery of crushed pills adds another layer to the story.Why were the pills crushed? Who crushed them? Were they actually take...

Is Lindsay Clancy’s defense really THAT strong?The case has always come down to more than simply what happened. The real fight is over Lindsay Clancy’s mental state, what she understood at the time, and how the jury interpreted the evidence surrounding her mental health, medications, behavior, and actions that night.We break down the defense’s strongest arguments, the evidence that may have moved the jury, and the one issue that could be standing between Lindsay Clancy and a verdict. Criminal Defense Lawyer in St. Louis, MO Not Guilty by Reason...

Is the case AGAINST Lindsay Clancy stronger than people think?In this video, a former police officer turned private investigator breaks down the Lindsay Clancy case from an investigative perspective.So much of the attention in this case has focused on Lindsay Clancy’s mental health and the arguments supporting her defense. But when you look at the case from the prosecution’s side, there are details that are much harder to ignore.Her actions before the killings, the timeline that night, what she allegedly searched for, what she said afterward, and the step...

What does a mistrial actually mean for the Lindsay Clancy case?After all the testimony, evidence, and jury deliberations, a mistrial can leave people wondering: Is the case over? Does Lindsay Clancy go free? Can prosecutors try her again?A mistrial does NOT automatically mean someone is guilty or not guilty. It means the trial ended without a final verdict. If a jury cannot unanimously agree, the judge may declare a hung jury and a mistrial.So what happens next?We break down what a mistrial means, whether prosecutors can take...

What is it really like to work inside prisons, police departments, and the criminal justice system?Former law enforcement officer and correctional officer Andrew Skoklo, an investigator at Combs Waterkotte Law Firm, sits down to talk about the side of crime, prison, and policing most people never see.From dealing with dangerous inmates and learning the unwritten rules of prison to police culture, criminal behavior, manipulation, and the moments that stay with you long after the job is over, Andrew shares stories and lessons from a career spent on the inside.We also...

Lindsay Clancy’s attorney just asked President Trump to consider a pardon, but can Trump actually do it?The short answer is no. Lindsay Clancy is facing murder charges in Massachusetts state court, and presidential pardon power only applies to federal crimes. Trump cannot simply pardon her and make the Massachusetts case disappear.So why would her attorney publicly ask him?That’s where things get interesting. Clancy’s first trial ended with a hung jury, and prosecutors now have to decide what comes next. Her attorney has acknowledged that Trump cannot legally pardon...