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Recent Blog Posts
Getting Your Driver’s License Reinstated in Illinois
Your driver’s license can get revoked or suspended for a number of reasons-traffic violations, failing to pay child support, DUI charges-but you can reinstate your driver’s license with the help of an experienced attorney. There are specific steps that you must take in order to begin the reinstatement process.
Participate in a Hearing
In order to have your driver’s license reinstated, you must participate in either a formal or informal hearing with a Secretary of State hearing officer.
Informal Hearing
You can request an informal hearing if your license was suspended for:
- An offense that did not involve a death
- One DUI offense
- Minor moving violations
The hearing could result in either a restricted driving permit or a full reinstatement of your driver’s license. A restricted driving permit allows you to drive during certain times of the day and in certain areas. This type of permit is often awarded to allow people to drive to and from work, school, daycare, or medical appointments.
Creative Criminals Still Get Caught in Will County
Robbery (stealing from a person by force) and burglary (theft from a building or vehicle) are not new crimes in Will County. However, the way these crimes are accomplished, and the items that are stolen, do change over time. Here are some examples of recent trends in crimes that occur in Illinois:
Package Theft on the Rise
The huge growth of online shopping, with Amazon boxes appearing regularly on doorsteps across the nation, has greatly expanded the incidence of theft in residential areas. According to Joliet police, this is an easy “crime of opportunity” when a package is sitting in plain view by a front door. This might seem like a very minor offense for which the offenders are unlikely to be caught and prosecuted, but as such thefts have increased, delivery service drivers and police are increasingly suspicious of vehicles that appear to be following delivery vans. In one December 2017 case, two individuals were tied to thefts of packages from at least 11 different homes, including several big-ticket items such as TVs and iPhones. The thieves were each charged with two counts of felony theft, 10 misdemeanor counts of theft, and 10 misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing.
Number of Chicago Hate Crimes Dropped in 2017
The greater Chicago area is well-known for many things. Some of them are good, such as deep-dish pizza and the attractions at the Navy Pier. Others are not so good, including the city’s reputation for violent crime. Two recent reports, however, seem to offer a measure of relief for those concerned about the violent crime in Chicago. The first one indicates that shootings and homicides were down in April compared to the same period last year for the 14th consecutive month—with more than a 20 percent decrease in the year-to-date numbers. The second report came from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and showed that hate crimes in the city dropped in 2017 by nearly 16 percent over 2016.
Cycling Numbers
In 2016, Chicago police reported 73 separate hate crime incidents, an increase from 59 in 2015. The up-and-down cycle has been occurring since at least 2012. The numbers will spike one year, drop the next, then go back up again. For 2017, CPD shows that there were only 61 reported hate crimes.
Making Sure Your Child Enters Adulthood with a Clean Criminal Record
When juveniles get in trouble with the law, all police and court records are supposed to be sealed. Then, when these children turn 18, they should enter adulthood with a clean record, right? Actually, it is not that simple.
The Juvenile Justice System Creates a Lot of Records
Anyone under the age of 18 who breaks the law in Illinois is processed through the juvenile justice system. This process creates a lot of records. The police will have an arrest report, transcripts of interviews, investigation notes, and even fingerprints and photographs of the minor. The local court will have records of charges filed, hearings held, and the final disposition of each case. The Illinois State Police also maintains records of all juvenile arrests and convictions, including mandatory fingerprint cards (effective January 1, 2000) for minors age 10 and up arrested on felony charges.
There will always be an arrest record, at a minimum, even if all charges are dismissed, or if a juvenile successfully completes a period of court supervision and thus avoids having a conviction on their record.
Illinois Community-Level Programs Aim to Reduce Prison Population
Very few people can picture themselves in the position of being charged with a felony and facing the possibility of spending time in a state prison. Thankfully, most of our 13 million Illinois residents will never be in that position.
Every year, 300,000 serious criminal offenses are committed in Illinois, including over 200,000 thefts/robberies/burglaries, 120,000 domestic violence offenses, and 80,000 drug crimes. Only a relatively small percentage of those criminal offenders end up in state prison, and that number has been declining due to specific efforts on the part of the state.
New Laws and Programs in Illinois
From 2013 to 2016, the Illinois prison population declined from nearly 49,000 to under 45,000. At the end of 2017, the inmate count was down even further, nearing the 41,000 mark. The state aims to cut these figures even further by reducing both the number of people sentenced to prison and the length of time each spends behind bars.
What Happens During an Illinois DUI Arrest?
You should never drink and drive-it is dangerous and it is reckless. According to the Illinois Secretary of State, 29,528 DUI arrests were made in Illinois in 2016. In the state of Illinois, driving under the influence includes many different types of impaired driving, from driving under the influence of alcohol to driving while intoxicated after using drugs, including prescription medications or illegal substances.
Before You Are Pulled Over
Many times, DUI arrests begin with the car being pulled over for other traffic offenses like speeding, swerving, improper lane changes, or driving too slowly-even something small, like a broken taillight, can serve as a means of being pulled over. In any case, the police officer must have reasonable cause to make a traffic stop, meaning the officer cannot just pull someone over for no reason.
Officer Observations and Questioning
After you are pulled over, the officer immediately begins his observations. The officer will always ask you to provide your license, registration, and proof of insurance. The officer might ask you where you are going or where you have been. From the beginning of the conversation, the officer has been looking for signs of impairment, such as bloodshot eyes, nervousness, slurred speech, or the smell of alcohol or illegal drugs. At this point, if he has reasonable suspicion that you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he will ask you to get out of your vehicle. If he does not suspect intoxication, you will be free to go.
Illinois Police to Enforce Gun Laws Regardless of Gun Sanctuaries
Gun regulation has become a hot topic in recent years following the multiple mass shootings that have occurred in the United States, such as the Las Vegas shooting, the Sandy Hook shooting, and the Parkland shooting. Many states have taken action to reform current gun laws, especially those regarding assault-style weapons. In response to these changes, many areas are proposing “gun sanctuaries,” or areas where certain gun laws don’t apply.
Illinois Gun Sanctuaries
According to an Illinois news station, four counties (Jefferson, Saline, Perry, and Iroquois Counties, which are all located in southern Illinois) have passed resolutions that declare the counties to be “gun sanctuaries.” These counties have declared four Illinois House bills and one Illinois Senate bill unconstitutional, saying that these bills infringe on their Second Amendment rights.
Tips for Staying Out of Trouble on the Water This Spring and Summer
If you find yourself enjoying a day out on a boat this year, consider yourself lucky. Only about 240,000 people in Illinois are fortunate enough to own a boat. However, if you run into a law enforcement officer while boating, here are a few tips to remember that can help you avoid charges related to operating a boat while intoxicated, which is prosecuted in the same manner as driving under the influence (DUI):
Safety First
Try to remember that Illinois boating regulations do not exist to spoil your day at the lake and generate revenue from fines. They exist to keep everyone safe.
When the police ask you to do something for basic safety reasons—for example, to show identification, to move from one place to another, or to keep your hands where they can be seen—always comply courteously.
Keep Private Things Private, In Both Words and Deeds
While you are out on a boat, it is easy to start feeling like you are in your own world, away from it all. You might even feel like being on your boat accords you the same privacy that you have in your own home or backyard. It can be easy to forget that law enforcement officers do patrol marinas, lakes, and rivers, and that there are just as many laws applying to boating as there are to driving a car.
Standardized and Non-Standardized Field Sobriety Tests
In the state of Illinois, driving under the influence (DUI) covers many different types of impaired driving, from driving under the influence of alcohol to driving under while intoxicated after using drugs, including prescription medications or illegal substances. In 2016, 29,528 DUI arrests were made, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.
When you get pulled over for a suspected DUI, the police officer may ask you to exit your vehicle and conduct a number of field sobriety tests to determine if you are impaired.
What Is a Field Sobriety Test?
A field sobriety test is one of the first things a police officer uses as a way of determining whether a person is under the influence while driving. There are both standardized and non-standardized field sobriety tests which allow officers to observe a person’s sense of balance, physical control, or ability to maintain attention. These tests are usually administered after a person is pulled over and is asked for their license and registration.
Can Juvenile Offenders Be Silenced on Social Media?
Over the years, juvenile court judges have come up with some creative ways to punish and rehabilitate youthful offenders. One Cook County judge reduces community service hours in exchange for reading books. Another judge, in DuPage County, ordered a teen to stop playing violent video games and told the parents to take away the boy’s smartphone.
But can a judge prohibit a juvenile from posting on social media, or is that a violation of their First Amendment right to free speech?
Illinois Juvenile Court Sentences Often Address Social Media
Current practices in the Cook County juvenile courts recognize that social media plays a big role in both teen life and criminal activity. Cook County probation officers regularly generate social media reports on teen offenders, which are provided to judges for consideration at sentencing. In one recent case, a teenage male was convicted of armed robbery. The teen’s social media report included pictures of him posing with guns, gang symbols, and marijuana. As part of his sentence, the judge ordered him to wipe his social media pages clean—and keep them clean—of any references to “gangs, guns and drugs.” This type of sentence has become common nationwide. But is it constitutional?
