Q: need pro bono attorney for mortgage fraud case

A: There is a lot of information that's not here that makes this more difficult to answer.

You don't indicate whether this is a State prosecution or a federal one. Both have jurisdiction to prosecute.

If it's a State prosecution, and you're charged, and you can't afford a lawyer, you will be appointed a lawyer by the judge. If the case is in Illinois, chances are the defense lawyer will be from the local County Public Defender's Office where the case is pending.

If it's a federal prosecution, you don't indicate which federal District where the case is pending. Illinois is divided up into three federal Districts, Northern, Central, and Southern. Each has a Federal Defender office. You would get a lawyer either from the office out of that District, or a court appointed private lawyer that's on a list in the District maintained by that Federal Defender Office based on what's called the Criminal Justice Authority (CJA). Sometimes, these appointed lawyers are called CJA lawyers for short.

If you're asking for someone to come in and take the case, knowing nothing about it, for nothing instead of the above, I would advise against this course. You don't know what you're getting. And you often get what you pay for. Please keep in mind that most private lawyers have to pay rent, phone bills, internet bills, and other expenses that go along with keeping the business afloat. The lawyer also has to pay taxes. Then the lawyer gets to pay himself/herself with what's left. A mortgage fraud case can involve lots of hours of time. It's unrealistic to expect lawyers to answer an anonymous call for pro bono help, especially when you don't reveal your financial situation.

Many private criminal defense lawyers offer free consultations. Make some calls to lawyers that offer such consultations to find out what you're up against and to learn pricing. That way, you can decide what to do from there.

Good luck.