In choosing a lawyer to handle your case, it is extremely important to look at your prosepective attorney's background, experience, and record of accomplishment. A lawyer who has never prosecuted a case will often not recognize the weaknesses of the prosecution's case or know how the police and prosecutors work. If you have an attorney without extensive trial and prosecutorial experience, he or she will not have the confidence and knowledge necessary to effectively defend your case.
Steve McCollum has over 25 years of trial experience. Having been an Assistant State's Attorney for over 16 years, he has tried almost every type of criminal felony, misdemeanor, juvenile, and traffic case.
During his last 12 years with the State's Attorney's Office in Lake County, Illinois, Steve was a supervisor of various divisions in the office, culminating in his being named Chief Deputy State's Attorney in 1990 when Michael Waller moved from that position to become the State's Attorney. As a supervisor in that office, Steve was able to personally handle many of the most serious criminal cases in Lake County, working with police departments throughout the county. He therefore tried many First Degree Murder cases, including death penalty cases, Criminal Sexual Assault, Reckless Homicide and DUI cases, complicated Financial Crime / Embezzlement cases, and other felony, juvenile and misdemeanor cases. Those trials have involved the use of complex expert testimonial evidence, including FBI and other expert witnesses.
Starting in 1979 as an Assistant State's Attorney in Peoria County, Illinois, Steve McCollum initially tried hundreds of misdemeanor and DUI cases including Battery (including domestic Battery), Drug charges, Unlawful Use of Weapons, Theft, and other charges. Within two years he was chosen to try a First Degree Murder case with the First Assistant State's Attorney.
In 1981, Steve returned to Lake County, Illinois as an Assistant State's Attorney, where he continued until 1995. During that time, he was a trial attorney in the Misdemeanor Division, a Felony Trial attorney, Chief of the Juvenile Trial Division, Chief of the Misdemeanor and Traffic Division, and Chief of the Felony Review Division. In 1990 when Lake County State's Attorney Michael Waller was first chosen to be State's Attorney (having been Chief Deputy State's Attorney) he chose Steve as Chief Deputy State's Attorney in charge of all criminal and juvenile prosecutions for Lake County.
During those years as a prosecutor in Peoria and Lake Counties Steve tried hundreds and hundreds of cases, including many First Degree Murder, Reckless Homicide, large Financial Theft and Embezzlement Cases, Armed Robbery, Rape and Sexual Assault, DUI, Juvenile Delinquency, and other cases. During this time he tried many of the most serious cases in the Lake County Criminal Courts while also being the supervisor of all division chiefs and Attorneys in the office. This experience allowed him to work with expert witnesses in the medical profession, forensic experts from the FBI, and many other experts.
In addition to his trial work and supervisory duties in the State's Attorney's Office, Steve was named to be on various Boards for agencies such as the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, the Lake County Domestic Violence Council, and other organizations.
Since leaving the State's Attorney's office in 1995 to take over an ongoing criminal practice (then named Staben & Kopsick), Steve has handled First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, Sex Offenses, Reckless Homicide, major Financial Crime, Drug cases, Child Pornography and related charges, Juvenile Delinquency, DUI and other matters. He has achieved outstanding results for his clients because of the extensive trial experience and knowledge of the workings of the various police departments in Lake County.
If you are looking for an attorney with proven competence, experience, and expertise who has been working in the Lake County Court system for many years and has tried many cases, please call.
