Criminal Defense Advocacy

They Missed Something. We Find It.

Your person is sitting in a cell while a public defender who has not read the file is about to walk into court. We have been there. We know exactly where the system fails — and we know how to fight back.

Run Free Case Scan How BRO Works

B.R.O. Advocacy is not a law firm. We are authorized lay advocates. Pro se defendants have a constitutional right to file their own motions — we help you understand and exercise that right. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship.

5
Cases with complete defense packets — state dismissed all charges
120
Day speedy trial ceiling most attorneys never calculate
$0
Cost to run your first case scan — always free
3
States — Illinois, Texas, Missouri — and expanding
—Speedy Trial Violations —Brady Violations —Ineffective Assistance of Counsel —Void Warrants —False FTAs —Fabricated Continuances —Civil Rights Violations —Extradition Holds —Monitor Violations —Speedy Trial Violations —Brady Violations —Ineffective Assistance of Counsel —Void Warrants —False FTAs —Fabricated Continuances —Civil Rights Violations —Extradition Holds —Monitor Violations
Who We Are
"I walked out of prison in October 2023. By 2025 I had built five cases that the state could not survive."
— Amber Smith (Wilkins), Executive Director, B.R.O. Advocacy

BRO started the way most real things do — out of necessity. Amber walked out of incarceration and immediately started fighting for the people around her. Friends. Family. Their friends. Their family. People who had public defenders carrying 200 cases and no time to read theirs.

She did not have a law degree. She had something more dangerous — she knew the system from the inside, she knew where it fails, and she refused to stop until she found it.

Five complete defense packets built. Five times the state dismissed all charges. BRO also fights evictions, FEMA hardships, bill negotiations, banking disputes — anywhere the system tries to grind down people who do not have someone in their corner.

We are not a joke. We are not sappy. We are not square. We are the people who stayed up until 3am reading dockets so you do not have to. We are the reason your person comes home.

Start With a Free Scan
The Process

How BRO
Fights For You.

Three steps. No guesswork. No waiting months with no answers.

STEP 01
Submit Your Scan

Fill out the free case scanner below. Tell us the charges, the county, how long this case has been open, and what feels wrong. Takes two minutes. No account required. No commitment. We read every single submission.

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STEP 02
Amber Reviews Your Case

If your case scan shows red flags — and most do — Amber personally pulls the docket, runs the speedy trial clock, checks for Brady failures, and cross-references every continuance. Not an algorithm. Not outsourced. Amber reads it.

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STEP 03
You Walk In Armed

You receive a complete defense packet — motion drafts ready to file pro se or hand to an attorney, a full exhibit index, the exact speedy trial day count, and every violation documented with citations. This is the weapon. Use it.

What Others Miss

We Dig Where
Nobody Else Does.

A public defender with 200 cases cannot run every clock, pull every FOIA, or cross-reference every continuance. That is not an insult — it is math. We exist because that math costs people their lives.

01
Speedy Trial Violations
Illinois law mandates trial within 120 days for in-custody defendants under 725 ILCS 5/103-5. Every Monday continuance falsely attributed. Every phantom hearing. We count every single day and show you the math that collapses the case.
02
Brady Violations
Body cam footage referenced in a report but never disclosed. Witnesses left off formal records. Supplemental reports buried in a file nobody read. These are constitutional violations that collapse charges under Brady v. Maryland.
03
Attorney Abandonment
One meeting in ten months is not representation. Stipulating to prior convictions without consent. Failing to deploy available defenses. We document every failure under Strickland v. Washington and United States v. Cronic.
04
Void Warrants & False FTAs
Failure to appear entered while your person was locked up in another county. Notices sent to wrong addresses. Extradition holds built on a foundation that does not legally exist. We find the crack and pull the whole thing down.
05
Constitutional Violations
Stops without probable cause. 48-hour windows exceeded. Conditions of confinement. Electronic monitor misuse. Every violation documented and preserved — for state court and for the federal civil rights action that follows dismissal.
06
Beyond Criminal Defense
Evictions. FEMA hardships. Bill negotiation. Bank disputes. BRO was built for people the system was never designed to help — in any arena where research and someone who will not back down makes the difference.
Real Outcomes

The Work
Speaks.

No names. No exaggeration. Just what happened when BRO built the case and delivered the packet.

State Dismissed — Day of Trial

Client had been on charges over a year. We identified a speedy trial violation exceeding the 120-day statutory ceiling and documented 16 continuances falsely attributed to the defendant on days when jail policy confirmed no transport occurred. Complete defense packet delivered. State dismissed all charges the morning of trial.

Illinois — Criminal Felony
Brady Violation — Case Collapsed

Police report referenced body camera footage and a bill of sale that predated the alleged theft by 48 hours. Neither was in formal discovery. We documented five Brady violations and built the motion. The case could not survive what we found.

Illinois — Criminal Felony
Void Warrant — Extradition Challenged

Client held in Texas on an Illinois extradition hold. We identified that the failure to appear was entered while the client was simultaneously in custody in another county — a factual impossibility on the face of the record. The warrant predicate was void. The hold had no valid legal foundation.

Illinois / Texas — Multi-Jurisdiction
Monitor Condition — Constitutional Challenge

Client was arrested in one county while wearing an electronic monitor issued by a different county under conditions that did not prohibit the activity at issue. Monitoring company records and GPS data were FOIA'd. We documented the jurisdictional conflict and the constitutional void in the condition language. Defense built. Attorney engaged.

Illinois — Multi-County
False Continuance Chain — Clock Documented

Court docket showed 11 continuances over 14 months attributed to the defense. Jail transport logs obtained via FOIA contradicted 7 of them. Those days went back on the prosecution's clock. With the corrected count, the speedy trial ceiling had been breached. Motion filed. Case resolved in defendant's favor.

Illinois — Felony Criminal
How We Work With You

Three Ways
BRO Fights.

Every situation is different. Every family is different. We built our services around that reality.

Free Scan
$0 always
For anyone who needs to know if there is something worth fighting. No account. No commitment. Real AI analysis of your situation in under a minute.
  • AI-powered case flag analysis
  • Speedy trial ceiling check
  • Brady and IAC red flags
  • Warrant chain review
  • Plain language results
  • Donation-supported
Run Free Scan Now
Most Requested
Defense Packet
$75–$150 one-time
Amber's personal review of your case. Complete documentation. Motion drafts ready for pro se filing or attorney review. This is the real weapon.
  • Personal case review by Amber
  • Exact speedy trial day count
  • Brady violation documentation
  • Complete exhibit index A–Z
  • Motion drafts — pro se ready
  • Attorney connection assistance
  • FOIA requests filed for you
Request Your Packet
Monthly Advocacy
$25/month
For families with someone in the system right now. We stay on it every month so you are never alone and never left wondering what is happening.
  • Monthly case status review
  • FOIA tracking and follow-up
  • Attorney recruitment outreach
  • Court date monitoring
  • Direct access to Amber
  • Cancel anytime
Start Membership

Can't afford a packet? Contact us anyway. BRO was built for people who cannot afford to lose. We do not turn people away because of money.

Contact BRO
BRO Publishes

Tools Built
For the Fight.

Plain-language tools for people navigating systems designed to confuse them. Written from the inside out — because Amber has been there. Available through BRO's KDP imprint.

Reentry Tools Coming Soon
Day One: Reentry & Conditions Tracker
A practical tracker built for the first days out — and every day after. Conditions, check-in schedules, PO contact info, court dates, curfews, and restrictions in one place. The system sets people up to fail on technicalities. This keeps you documented and on record.
Get Notified When Available →
Family Communication Coming Soon
Talk Cards: Jail & Prison Calls for Kids and Parents
Connection tools for families navigating calls when someone is incarcerated. Conversation prompts, age-appropriate frameworks for kids, and tools to keep relationships intact when visits aren't possible. Because the call is not just a call — it's everything.
Get Notified When Available →
Advocacy Resource Coming Soon
The BRO Resource Guide
Housing. Reentry support. Legal aid. Benefits. Health. Transportation. Every resource that matters — organized for actual use, in plain language, without the runaround. A working guide for people navigating life after the system. Digital format in development.
Get Notified When Available →
Contact BRO About These Tools

All titles publish via Amazon KDP. Notify list gets first access. Contact us for bulk or organizational orders.

Resources for Families

Start Here
If You're Lost.

You should not need a lawyer just to find out what is happening. These are the tools that matter. Free. No account required.

Illinois Courts
Circuit Court Clerk DirectoryFind your county's clerk Illinois Courts PortalCase lookup and filings Illinois FOIA PortalRequest public records IDOC Facility LocatorFind where someone is held
Texas Courts
Texas Courts Case SearchStatewide case lookup Texas Open Records RequestFile a public records request TDCJ Unit DirectoryTexas jail/prison locator Texas StatutesLook up Texas law directly
Know Your Rights
ACLU Know Your RightsPolice encounters, detention, more 6th Amendment — Right to CounselFull text + case law summary 5th Amendment — Right to SilenceWhat you must and must not say Illinois Legal Aid OnlineFree legal guidance resources
Pro Se Filing
Faretta v. California — Right to Self-RepresentThe controlling Supreme Court case 725 ILCS 5/103-5 — Speedy TrialThe exact law. Read it. BRO Can Help You FileContact us — we guide the process Run Your Free Case ScanStart here — takes 2 minutes
Illinois
Madison County · St. Clair County
and surrounding circuits
Actively operating
Texas
Palo Pinto County
and surrounding jurisdictions
Actively operating
Missouri
Expanding — contact us
to discuss your situation
Expanding 2026
Remote
Defense packets and document
advocacy available nationwide
Work done anywhere
Questions

The Things
Everyone Asks.

Are you attorneys? ↓
No. B.R.O. Advocacy is a lay advocacy organization. We are not attorneys and do not provide legal advice. What we do provide is thorough, research-backed documentation — the speedy trial math, the Brady violations, the exhibit index, the motion drafts — that you or your attorney then file and use. Pro se defendants have a constitutionally protected right to represent themselves and file their own motions under Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806 (1975). We help you exercise that right.
Can you come to court with me? ↓
We cannot appear in court, sign court documents, or hold ourselves out as legal representatives. What we can do is build everything you bring into that courtroom — the complete defense packet, the motion language, the exhibit documentation — so you walk in with more than most people who have paid attorneys. We can also help identify and connect you with licensed attorneys where available.
What is a pro se motion and how does it work? ↓
A pro se motion is a court filing made by the defendant themselves, without an attorney. Every criminal defendant has the constitutional right to file their own motions. BRO drafts the motion language, citing the exact statutes and case law that apply to your situation. You (the defendant) sign it, and it gets filed with the court clerk. Judges are required to consider properly filed pro se motions. This is a real, working legal tool — not a workaround.
What exactly is in a defense packet? ↓
A BRO defense packet includes: the exact speedy trial day count with every continuance documented and sourced; Brady violation documentation with specific examples from the file; ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC) documentation where applicable; a complete exhibit index labeled A through Z; drafted motions citing controlling statutes and case law; FOIA request letters for any outstanding records; and Amber's personal strategic notes on the strongest angles in your case. It is a complete litigation package — not an outline, not a summary.
How long does a defense packet take? ↓
Turnaround depends on case complexity, how many documents we need to pull, and current volume. Most packets are delivered within 7–14 days of receiving the case materials and payment. If you have an urgent hearing, tell us — urgent cases are prioritized. We do not sit on files. Every day matters.
What if I genuinely cannot pay anything? ↓
Contact us anyway. BRO was built for people who cannot afford to lose. We have never turned someone away strictly because of money. The free case scanner is always available at no cost. For full defense packets, we work with families on what they can actually manage. Email us — tell us what is happening and what you can do. We will figure something out.
Do you work on appeal cases or post-conviction? ↓
Yes. Appeals, post-conviction petitions, habeas corpus filings, and sentence reduction advocacy are all areas BRO works in. These cases often have the clearest documented violations — especially IAC and Brady — because the trial record is already built. If someone has already been convicted, the fight is not over. Contact us with the details.
Do you help with issues outside of criminal cases? ↓
Yes. BRO operates across multiple advocacy areas: eviction defense, FEMA hardship applications, bill negotiation, bank disputes, tax advocacy, and benefits appeals. The same approach applies — research, documentation, and someone who will not back down. If you are in a fight with a system or institution, reach out. We will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Free Tool — No Account Required

Run Your
Free Scan.

Tell us what is happening. We scan it and show you what may have been missed. Two minutes. No cost. Real analysis.

Free. No account. No attorney-client relationship created.
Pro se defendants have a constitutional right to file their own motions — we help you exercise it.

BRO is scanning your case...
Checking speedy trial clocks. Brady flags. Warrant chains. Attorney conduct. Give us a moment.
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Case concern level
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BRO Found Issues Worth Fighting.

This free scan is the surface. A full BRO Defense Packet goes deep — exact day counts, complete violation documentation, motion drafts ready to file pro se or with counsel, and Amber's personal read on your case.

Request Defense Packet — $75–$150 Monthly Advocacy — $25/mo
Stay In the Fight