Posted on July 23, 2018 in Traffic Offenses

No one likes receiving atraffic ticket. Seeing the red and blue lights in your rear-view mirror is likely not what you hope for when out on the road. Traffic tickets become a burdento those receiving them as they try to deal with the consequences anddeterminethe next stepsto take. No matterthe inconvenience or the burden that is felt, traffic tickets cannot be ignored.

Traffic Tickets Affect Your Insurance Rates

While it is true that there are traffic offenses that require paying a small fine and nothing more, this is not the case in every instance. The consequences of a traffic ticket can affect a person’s life even after paying the fine. Auto insurance rates are usually calculated by taking into consideration a person’s driving history. Traffic tickets and offenses increase the rates of your auto insurance that is required to drive in Illinois.

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 Posted on July 20, 2018 in Criminal Defense

In criminal cases involving jail or prison time, there is often a high probability that upon release from incarceration, an individual will be placed on probation. Probation requires a person to follow strict rules and guidelines on howhe or she should conducthimself or herself ashe or she transitions back to the real world.

As of this writing, an Illinois man is on his way to jail after violating probation. The man pled guilty to committing a string of burglaries and burning a vehicle. He pled guilty to two counts of burglary and one count of arson, according to the Daily News. As a result of this guilty plea, the man was placed on probation. One of the conditions of his probation was that he was not to get arrested for any additional crimes or offenses. He did not meet this condition. The man was arrested for two charges: possession of a knife and unlawful display of a title with a prior conviction. Both of these charges are considered Class A misdemeanors.

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 Posted on July 17, 2018 in Criminal Defense

Almost everyone knows the fear that begins to take over when you are driving along and you see a police car. Even if the car is going the other way, you begin to ask yourself dozens of questions. Was I speeding? Did I change lanes without signaling? My registration isn’t due yet, is it? Could I even find my insurance card right now? Most of the time, the officer in his or her car is paying little or no attention to you, but when you see the flashing lights of a police car directly behind you, things can change quickly.

While you may have your suspicions about why you are being pulled over, make sure that you:

• Pull over as soon as you can. Acknowledge the officer’s presence by putting on your turn signal right away and by decreasing your speed. Obviously, do not slam on your brakes. A turn signal and decreased speed shows the officer that you intend to stop when and where it is safe to do so;

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 Posted on July 16, 2018 in DUI/DWI

For most parents, their children’s safety is a top priority in their life. Even with the best of intentions, parents can make mistakes that put their own safety and their children’s at risk. For some Illinois parents, a child might face a greater risk of injury because of an adultdriving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. When this happens, a parent might have more to worry about than a pending driving under the influence (DUI) charge. There can be greater consequences for a DUI charge when there is a minor child present in the vehicle.

DUI Law in Illinois

In Illinois, a driver can be charged with a DUI if they are operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or more. A DUI charge brings the risk of potential jail time, fines, court costs, probation, or even court-mandated alcohol treatment. When a driver is charged with a DUI when their child is in the car, child endangerment laws also come into consideration. In Illinois, child endangerment results any time that a minor’s welfare is put in harm’s way because of the reckless behavior of a parent or guardian. In the most extreme cases involving child endangerment, a parent or guardian could even havehis or her parental rights terminated because of the endangerment.

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 Posted on July 13, 2018 in Theft

Aretail theft ring made up of six individuals has been broken up and resulted in charges being filed for all six individuals involved, according to The Times. Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise was stolen by six people throughout Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Both Illinois and Indiana police departments were investigating a string of retail theft instances. The suspects were found after detectives identified the individuals on surveillance tapes.

Additionally, detectives were able to use an informant to gain more information about the six suspects. The theft ring was targeting more high-end items, like electronics and handbags. Two of the suspects are in custody, with warrants out for the other four individuals. The investigation is ongoing as the detectives on the case are looking for additional evidence or thefts committed by the ring.

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 Posted on July 11, 2018 in Criminal Defense

Imagine this scenario: You have had your driver’s license suspended. Perhaps a series of unpaid parking tickets or citations for moving violations such as speeding led to the suspension. Whatever the reason for the suspension, you now have no way of getting back and forth to work. One day, you miss the bus and decide that you will drive your car even though you do not have a valid driver’s license anymore. On the way to work, you are pulled over for a broken taillight and the police officer finds out that you have driven on a suspended license. You may be facing steep fines and even jail time. Now what?

Reasons Your License Could Be Suspended

Driver’s license suspensions in Illinois can be the result of:

• Accumulating three or more moving violations in a year;
• Failing to appear in court;
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI);

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 Posted on July 09, 2018 in Juvenile Crimes

Juvenile crime should be taken seriously. Society does not want to teach young offenders that they can get away with whatever they want. However, there is a big difference in making sure that a young person knows whathe or she did was wrong and sentencinghim or her to life in prison. The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case to determine when the length of a sentence is “too much” for juvenile offenders.

Specifics of the Case

Dimitri Buffer was sentenced to 50 years in prison at the age of 16; 25 years for murder and 25 years for the use of a firearm. Following this sentencing, the United States Supreme Court decided the case Miller v. Alabama. In the case, the Court found that mandatory life sentences for juveniles without the chance for parole amount to the level of cruel and unusual punishment. There is evidence that the human brain develops past the first 20 years of life. This can reduce a juvenile’s culpability and ability to access the dangers and wrongdoing associated with crimes.

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 Posted on July 06, 2018 in Criminal Defense

If you turn on any crime drama show, chances are you have heard a prosecutor or defense attorney utter the phrase, “you only have circumstantial evidence.” As a viewer of a television program, you might just hearthese words and not think about what circumstantial evidence is or the role it plays incriminal defense cases. Circumstantial evidence is not just a phrase you hear television lawyers throw around, however, but a real type of evidence that is at issue in criminal proceedings.

Direct vs. Circumstantial Evidence

There are two types of evidence that can be used in criminal trials. Direct evidence is actual physical evidence used to link a defendant directly to a crime. This could be a video surveillance tape, a fingerprint at the crime scene, or any other evidence that directly points to a defendant committing a crime.

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 Posted on July 02, 2018 in Criminal Defense

Most drivers have been guilty of bending the rules of the road at least a time or two. Perhaps they were running late for an important meeting, so they drove a few miles above the speed limit or only came to a rolling stop at a stop sign. Usually, minor traffic violations do not result in significant negative consequences for the driver and only bring a ticket and moderate fine. However, there are some traffic violations which can be quite serious and could even result in a felony charge or jail time. Reckless driving is one of these violations.

How is Reckless Driving Defined in Illinois?

When one hears the term "reckless driving," they may think of the type of outrageous stunts performed on movies like The Fast and The Furious. In reality, reckless driving can include any driving action which endangers the lives of other drivers or pedestrians. The Illinois criminal code defines reckless as when a motorist drives "any vehicle with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property; or knowingly drives a vehicle and uses an incline in a roadway…to cause the vehicle to become airborne." The second half of the definition does not contain much ambiguity. If a person tries to use a ramp or other means to make their car lose contact with the ground, he or she could be charged with reckless driving. The first half of the definition is more subjective.

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 Posted on July 02, 2018 in DUI/DWI

Both a driver for the rideshare company Lyft and another motorist are facing charges for driving under the influence (DUI) after a fatal crash last month.

One man was driving and crossed over the center line, according to WGN9 Chicago. He collided with the Lyft driver head-on. The passenger in the Lyft was not injured and is in good condition. Unfortunately, the female passenger in the first driver’s vehicle was killed as a result of the crash. She was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.

The motorist was charged with a felony aggravated DUI that resulted in the accident and death and is also facing a misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs charge. The Lyft driver is facing charges of driving under the influence of drugs. Again, this is a misdemeanor charge.

Illinois takes DUI charges very seriously because they can have a devastating impact on more than just the driver of a vehicle. As such, it is imperative that you understand Illinois DUI law in case you are facing a DUI charge.

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