Recent Blog Posts
National Prescription Drug Addiction Epidemic Out of Control
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.
Commercial Driver’s License: Understanding Traffic Violations
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:
Illinois Officials to Focus on Criminal Justice System
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.
Measuring Recidivism Rate in Juvenile Cases
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.
Understanding The Difference Between Traffic Misdemeanors And Felonies
Traffic offenses, or infractions, are typically issued due to non-dangerous moving violations, and other mechanical violations. These violations are less offensive and carry lesser penalties, however, there are other traffic-related violations that can carry more offensive violations: traffic misdemeanors and traffic felonies.
Here is the difference between these two more serious traffic offenses:
Traffic Misdemeanors- This violation often involves an injury to an individual, destruction to property, or poses a threat to either an individual or property. Even though these violations are less serious crimes than felonies, the typical punishment consists of a hefty fine, or even incarceration. These violations vary by state, but usually include the following:
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Failure to stop at the scene of an accident
How Social Media Effects Divorce
Those who are regular Internet users or have social media accounts including Facebook Instagram and Twitter should take caution if they are in the middle of a divorce or child custody battle. Any networking websites that you are a part of should be avoided at all costs and living in today’s society, it can be easier said than done. The reason why the lawyers at Cosley Law Office strongly encourage this to their clients is because any social media activity can hurt your case if used improperly.
If you do decide to continue the use of social media during a divorce, it is important to remember not to post or update your account as often as you normally would and to always keep your personal information private. If these social media sites are used incorrectly and inappropriate words are posted and the opposing party finds it online, it is hard evidence that they could use against you in court. As said before, this is easier said than done. We sometimes post things or update our profiles without even thinking through the consequences it could bring.
New Law Takes Aim at Domestic Violence Offenders
Domestic violence cases often are troubling situations that bring up serious issues. These charges are not limited to one group or a specific type of offender; anyone from any socioeconomic, racial, or ethnic background can be involved in such a scenario. This is further evidenced by a news story that has become popular as of late. Since the official start of the 2014-2015 National Football League (NFL) season, news and other media outlets have been consistently reporting on a notorious domestic violence incident that became public knowledge in February of 2014, but has garnered new and deserving attention since more details of the incident surfaced recently.
Illinois Domestic Violence Law Signed
Even before this news story concerning the professional football player garnered renewed attention, officials in the state of Illinois had their attention turned to the topic of domestic violence. At the end of August, Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation known as “Diane’s Law” into effect. The law is meant to provide protection to survivors of domestic violence by allowing courts to order risk assessment evaluations as a condition of bails and to require electronic surveillance via GPS monitoring of those charged with the crime in order to enforce restraining orders. Charges covered by the new law will include domestic battery, kidnapping, stalking, harassment, and attempted murder.
Illinois Prosecutors Taking Aim at Truancy
Cases involving juvenile criminal offenses deserve special consideration, especially since many of these cases present an important opportunity to get a child or adolescent back on track. Truancy cases involve a particular set of concerns, mainly because they not only implicate a juvenile and his or her actions, but could implicate the juvenile’s parents or guardians in criminal liability as well. Prosecutors in several counties in the state of Illinois are charging an increasing number of parents with the crime of truancy.
Criminal Charges for Parents
Both St. Clair County and Madison County in Illinois have been focusing on charging a juvenile’s parents with the crime of truancy if their children are offenders. This is apparently part of a larger movement across the country to address the issue of truancy. According statistics, officials in St. Clair County have charged 13 parents so far this year with truancy because their children are chronically absent from school. This number has increased from eight in 2013, and just one parent in 2012. Madison County has charged a surprising 30 parents so far this calendar year with the crime, up significantly from 10 last year and seven parents in 2012. The offense is graded as a misdemeanor and can result in imprisonment of up to 30 days, imposition of a fine, or both. According to Illinois law, a child is considered truant if he or she has nine days of unexcused absences in the previous 180-day period.
Do Risk Assessments Have a Place in the Criminal Justice System?
According to a recent article published by the Pekin Daily Times, predicting future risk within the context of the criminal justice system has gotten significant attention lately. As described in the article, the concept of predictive analytics involves taking information from a large amount of data in order to identify patterns and make future predictions. While not always 100 percent accurate, the process does reveal information about the future that is somewhat reliable. The practice of predictive analysis is typically used in the business world, in making military decisions, and in scientific study. Now, it seems to also be leaking into the criminal justice system, which may not be a good thing.
Risk Assessments at Sentencing
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recently gave a speech in which he stated his position on using risk assessments at the sentencing of criminal defendants: he does not think it is a good idea. Holder went so far as to caution against such use, saying his concern is that doing so has the potential of seriously undermining efforts at individualized and equal justice. Equal justice, he said, can only be achieved using an individualized approach that takes the particular defendant, along with the crime committed, into consideration.
Tickets Issued as Result of Red Light Cameras in Chicago
Almost every driver will tell you that receiving a ticket for a driving infraction is a hassle. According to a recent article published online though, many Illinois motorists may have more to complain about than the average driver. The article reported that potentially thousands of Chicago drivers may have been issued undeserved tickets in connection with red light cameras used within the city. Apparently there has been a series of sudden spikes in such traffic citations that city officials have been unable to explain.
The Investigation
The Tribune conducted an investigation into the over four million tickets issued to drivers since 2007. They found that deviations in the city’s network of 380 red light cameras were caused by both faulty equipment and human adjustment. Many of the spikes in ticketing reportedly lasted weeks, despite the fact that ticketing patterns were supposed to be monitored every day. Transportation officials in Chicago claimed they had no knowledge of such significant deviations associated with ticketing and the equipment. Now, questions are being raised about the traffic enforcement program in Chicago. A federal corruption probe is allegedly underway. To be clear, the true cause of the influx in tickets has not yet been determined. Potential sources being suggested include everything from corruption and bribery, to technological issues and malfunctions, to something that was purely an oversight and accidental.
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3030 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 120, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-253-3100