You are driving home from a night out with some friends. You have had a few drinks but you feel fine to drive. Halfway home, you see you the blue lights behind you. Immediately, you pull over and start get out your license and registration. The officer comes to your window, asks if you have […]
Refusing a Breathalyzer Test Read More »
Have you have ever scrolled through eBay, or a similar auction site, looking for bargains? With nearly 160 million active user accounts on eBay alone, chances are pretty good that you or someone in your family checks out available deals at least occasionally. Online commerce has created an entirely new opportunity for bargain-hunters, but authorities
Too Good to Be True Online Deals May Be Stolen Property Read More »
In the last several years, neighborhoods and towns around Illinois and throughout the country have been enacted laws intended to reduce crime. Some of them, however, have had serious unintended consequences, particularly for victims of domestic violence. Presumably designed to make cities safer, these laws, known as “crime-free” or “nuisance property” ordinances impose fines and
New Law Prevents Domestic Violence Calls from Leading to Eviction Read More »
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner continued to demonstrate his unwillingness to amend the state’s medical marijuana pilot program until it finally gets off the ground by illegal drug possession ” vetoing a proposal that would have added several ailments to the list of qualifying conditions. The proposed measure would have added, among others, post-traumatic stress disorder,
Governor Refuses to Add PTSD to Medical Marijuana Conditions List Read More »
If you have been arrested on charges of illegal drug possession , you may feel like your options are very limited. It may seem nearly impossible to consider anything other than your life and your future crashing down around you. While you should certainly take any criminal charges seriously, including those for drug possession, a
Defending Drug Possession Charges Read More »
You are probably aware that if you receive too many traffic citations , your driving privileges can be suspended. It is likely of little surprise, as state authorities have a vested interest in keeping the roads of Illinois as safe as possible. Prior to 2015, however, you could also have your driver’s license confiscated as
Sign and Drive: Get a Ticket, Keep Your License Read More »
The state of Illinois has long been known for its strict policies on gun ownership, particularly in regard to handguns. In fact, Illinois was the last state in the country to enact a law permitting the possession of concealed weapons. The law, however, represented the state’s legislative reaction to a 2012 federal appeals court ruling
Concealed Carry Law: Illinois’ Shall Issue Requirement Read More »
A few weeks ago, a post on this blog discussed a bill that would have created the created the state’s first quantitative standard for driving under the influence of marijuana. The measure had been approved passed with bipartisan support by the Illinois House and Senate and was sent to the desk of Governor Bruce Rauner
Governor Amends Lawmakers’ Proposal on Marijuana DUI Limits Read More »
When an individual is arrested, whether it is on charges of DUI , weapons offenses, or possession of drugs, the arresting officer will normally conduct a pat-down search of the arrestee. This is done in an effort to prevent the officer from being injured by any object on the individual’s person that may pose an
Evidence Gathered in Warrantless Cell Phone Searches is Inadmissible Read More »
If you were asked to stand on one leg for thirty seconds, right now with no warning, could you do it? What about walking in a straight line, heel to toe, reversing direction and walking back on the exact same line, whether you could see the line or not? If either of these presented a
Challenging the Results of Field Sobriety Tests Read More »
Beginning January 1, 2016, fewer drunk driving juveniles will be automatically tried as adults in Illinois, thanks to a new law signed by Governor Bruce Rauner earlier this month. Proponents believe that the new measure is in line with similar systems in place in other states, and will help Illinois reduce the current law’s “disproportionate
New Law to Reduce Automatic Transfers for Juveniles Read More »
When you are facing criminal charges for something you did not do, including drug charges , property crimes , or any other type of illegal activity, it can be very overwhelming. You will likely feel enormous pressure to find some way to prove that you did not or could not commit the offense for which
Reasonable Doubt: You Do Not Have to Prove Your Innocence Read More »
