Posted on October 23, 2014 in Child Custody

Contrary to what many people believe, there are many different types of child custodies. While a judge awards all custody determinations, not every situation is the same.

The following information will help you to understand the different types of child custody, as well as help you to determine which may be the best for your specific situation:

Physical Custody

With this type of child custody, a parent has the right for his or her child to live primarily with them. When a sole parent, or custodial parent, has physical custody, the other parent, or noncustodial parent, will typically have visitation rights or parenting time awarded to them.

Legal Custody

With this type of child custody, the parent with legal custody has the right to make all the decisions in regards to the child’s upbringing, such as with the child’s schooling, religious beliefs, and medical care.

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 Posted on October 21, 2014 in Your Rights

Among many other responsibilities, it is the duty of attorneys to stay up to date in any change in law or procedural rules that affect their area of practice. This is necessary not only to maintain up to date knowledge on the area of law that they practice, but also to provide competent representation to every one of their clients when bringing a case in court. Especially in criminal matters, staying abreast of any change in the relevant law, rules of criminal procedure, or any other criminal justice reforms is of the utmost importance, as even the slightest change can affect the outcome of a case.

New Law in Criminal Trials

There has been much talk about reforming the criminal justice system in Illinois recently, something this blog has discussed many times in the recent past. This interest in criminal justice reform is not isolated to the state of Illinois, but rather, is an issue being addressed in many states across the country, and even on the federal level. With all of this in mind, it is perhaps not surprising that a new law is going into effect that reportedly reflects a landmark in criminal justice reform. The new law requires that forensic psychiatric reviews of defendants must be disclosed in order for judges to evaluate the facts behind an opinion regarding a defendant’s mental fitness to stand trial.

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 Posted on October 17, 2014 in Alimony

When making the decision to file for a divorce, there are certain factors that need to be considered before taking that first step, especially since divorce is an emotional and trying time.

Whether you are filing for divorce, or your spouse has made the decision to file, these tips will help you to ensure the smoothest transition possible while preparing for your divorce:

Seek the assistance of a divorce attorney. Hiring a divorce attorney is ideal for both parties. An attorney can ensure that you fully understand the laws and your rights, as well as prepare you for the possible outcome. Be sure that you seek representation from an attorney who listens to you, your concerns, will answer all of your questions, and is reliable.

Secure your finances. Not only is this important in order to determine your assets, but this is also critical in ensuring that both parties will be able to financially support themselves, as well as the costs related to the divorce itself. It is not necessary for marital funds to be dissipated, but it may be a good idea to equally divide your accounts.

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 Posted on October 16, 2014 in White collar crime

White collar crime is often not considered as serious as other types of criminal conduct, but it is often punished just as harshly. Depending on the type of crime and the severity of the offense, the defendant could be looking at a substantial amount in prison. In many cases, white collar crimes may be prosecuted at the federal level in federal court. Such cases involve slightly different laws and procedure, plus the imposition of a federal prison term.

There has been discussion in Illinois and across the country recently about sentencing reform, decriminalization of certain criminal acts, and shorter prison terms. All of this is likely in an effort to achieve both fair and practical effects by both reforming the criminal justice system and decreasing prison populations. According to recent report, there has been an important shift in the federal prison population toward those ends.

First Drop in Decades

The federal prison population has decreased by about 4,800 inmates in the last year. The Justice Department reports that this marks the first time the number has gone down in several decades. In addition, the Justice Department reportedly projects that the prison population will be about 215,000 inmates at the end of the current budget year, which would reflect a total decrease of about 5,000 from the same count taken just one year ago. If that happens, it would mark the first time since 1980 that the federal prison population has actually declined over the course of a year.

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 Posted on October 14, 2014 in Illinois Laws

According to a recent report, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed the decriminalization marijuana in certain circumstances. While similar suggestions have been voiced in the past, it seems that not everyone in the state of Illinois is on the same page regarding the proposal. In fact, some very opposite opinions have been raised about reforming drug charges from officials in the state.

The Mayor’s Position

Mayor Emanuel is reportedly arguing that some drug possession charges should be reduced in severity. Specifically, he is allegedly advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana possession in small amounts across the state of Illinois and for the reduction of the criminal grading of possessing less than one gram of any controlled substance from a felony to a misdemeanor. He said that doing so would make the criminal justice system more available to address more serious challenges to public safety and further the progress that has already been made.

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 Posted on October 09, 2014 in DUI/DWI

Driving under the influence (DUI) cases are some of the more common cases in criminal court. While many cases may be relatively straightforward, there are certain issues that can pop up concerning police procedure in bringing these charges. Of course, each criminal case involving a DUI or other criminal charges should be evaluated in light of the particular facts surrounding the case in order to determine any issues present, as well as options the specific defendant has in addressing the charges.

One such issue that may become relevant in a DUI case is the context in which the defendant was pulled over. Some of those charged with DUI may be observed to be driving in a reckless manner by law enforcement; others may have committed a traffic infraction giving the officer pretext for the stop. Still others may have been charged with a DUI as the result of passing through a DUI checkpoint. A recent report looks at DUI checkpoints and the potential legal issues that result from them in some states, including Illinois.

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 Posted on October 08, 2014 in Criminal Defense

Some drug cases involve not only legal issues, but deeper issues that some may even argue are more serious than the resulting criminal charges. Many defendants who have been charged with a drug crime are suffering from a prescription drug addiction that is out of control. While they may have their fair share of legal problems to deal with, treating the underlying addiction should also top their priority list. A recent report examined the problem of drug overdoses specifically related to prescription drugs and what obstacles are in the way of trying to stop them.

Doctor Shopping

Abuse of prescription drugs seems to be on the rise, and efforts to stop it are falling short. While many drugs are considered by law to be illegal, prescription drug abuse involves using otherwise legal drugs in an illegal way. Sometimes this may involve taking more than the prescribed dose of a drug, while other times it involves “doctor shopping” to obtain a prescription for a certain type of drug. This practice by drug addicts is known to lead directly to drug overdoses, particularly by those addicted to opioids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 17,000 fatal overdoses from pain medications in the year 2011. This was more than the amount of overdoses that resulted from heroin and cocaine combined. This is the latest year for which such numbers are available.

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 Posted on October 02, 2014 in Criminal Defense

When it comes to Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), the laws are stricter and hold drivers at a higher standard than other types of drivers. With a larger vehicle comes a larger responsibility to ensuring the safety and well being of pedestrians and drivers. For this reason, this is why commercial drivers have greater repercussions when a traffic violation occurs.

By understanding traffic violations and the repercussions for violating them, you will prevent receiving a ticket, being fined, possible jail time, as well as ensure that you will keep your CDL.

Serious Traffic Violations:

• Speeding (15 mph or above the posted speed limit)
• Wreckless driving
• Improper lane use or changes
• Driving without a current CDL
• Driving without the proper endorsements

Major Traffic Violations For CDL Drivers:

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 Posted on October 02, 2014 in Criminal Defense

It seems officials in the state of Illinois are taking steps to revamp the criminal justice system in a number of ways. Media outlets have reported on the reform, revaluation, and modification of different parts of the criminal justice system, from police procedure to sentencing guidelines to reintroducing criminal defendants back into society after their release from prison. According to a recent reports, efforts to ultimately improve the state’s criminal justice system are continuing with a focus on procedures used by the police and prosecutors in criminal cases.

The Committee

For the first time in Illinois, a committee is being established to recommend the best practices for police departments and prosecutors to use while investigating and collecting evidence in criminal cases in the state of Illinois. The General Assembly enacted legislation to allow the formation of the committee, which will operate out of the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s Office. Joe McMahon, Kane County’s State’s Attorney, is said to be tasked with leading the committee.

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 Posted on September 29, 2014 in Criminal Defense

In many ways, juvenile cases are treated differently than criminal cases in adult court. As a general rule, the court’s focus in juvenile cases should be on providing treatment to minor offenders and focusing on their rehabilitation in an attempt to steer them away from becoming lifetime criminal offenders. Sometimes, this works. Other times, it does not. One way officials have attempted to determine how successfully a juvenile has been rehabilitated is to study recidivism rates, or whether they have repeated criminal conduct. As one study points out, states measure recidivism differently, which could lead to inaccurate information.

Differences in Measuring Recidivism

Whether or not a juvenile has successfully rehabilitated after having a run-in with the law is often determined according to whether or not they have re-offended. The problem with this method is that different agencies in different states use different factors to determine rates of recidivism, which often leads to unreliable data, according to the study. For example, some may or may not use an adult arrest as a variable to calculate the rate of recidivism while others may or may not use a juvenile arrest. In addition, the study found that other varying factors include taking a type of juvenile facility into account, as opposed to the length of a juvenile’s stay in that facility. These differences make comparisons among states and agencies virtually useless.

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