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Commercial Drivers and CDL Violations
If you are a professional driver, your commercial driver's license (CDL) is probably one of the most valuable documents you have. Without it, you cannot legally do your job and may suffer significant financial hardship. Getting a CDL is not something just anyone can do. As a CDL holder, you are held to a higher standard of driving conduct than those with standard driver’s licenses. If you are a professional driver in Illinois or hold a CDL for other reasons, it is imperative that you understand your rights and responsibilities. Read on to learn how traffic violations can put your commercial driver’s license at risk and what to do if you have been charged with a traffic violation.
Laws Are Stricter For Commercial Drivers
Most people with a CDL are tasked with transporting others or operating large vehicles like tractor-trailers, flatbeds, box trucks, buses, or dump trucks. Larger vehicles can obviously do much more damage than average-sized vehicles when operated in an unsafe manner. CDL holders have a greater responsibility to operate their commercial motor vehicle in a manner that protects the safety of pedestrians and other drivers. Consequently, commercial drivers face more severe punitive repercussions when they do commit a traffic violation. Traffic violations that could put your CDL in jeopardy include:
What Young Drivers Should Know About Traffic Stops
Most people can remember the feeling of independence that came with getting their driver’s license for the first time. On the other hand, most can also remember the nearly overwhelming fear that took over the first time they were pulled over by the police. Being stopped for a suspected traffic violation is intimidating for many drivers, including those who have been driving for decades. Younger drivers, however, often experience even more stress when they are pulled over, leading to confusing and potentially dangerous situations. Fortunately, lawmakers in Illinois have taken steps to prepare young drivers on how to handle being stopped by the police.
Helping New Drivers Learn the Rules of the Road
Approximately two years ago, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bipartisan measure requiring all driver’s education classes in the state to include a section on how to behave during a traffic stop. The bill’s timing coincided with a number of horrific, headline-making examples of traffic stops that escalated and spiraled out of control—some of them resulting in tragedy. The new law went into effect in 2017 and has affected driver’s education classes at public schools, private schools, and private training programs.
Four Traffic Violations Excuses That Virtually Never Work
When you are pulled over for violating a traffic law, it is only natural that you would want to get out of a ticket. While you probably know that you could contest the citation in court, the process of fighting the ticket often begins informally during the conversation with the officer on the scene. A conviction for a traffic violation could result in fines, higher insurance premiums, and other penalties, so not getting a ticket in the first place is the easiest way to avoid a conviction. Unfortunately, a police officer is unlikely to be sympathetic when you offer a poor excuse.
Excuse #1: "I Wasn’t Paying Attention"
Traffic laws exist primarily for the purpose of keeping drivers attentive and safe. If you tell an officer that you were not paying attention—to traffic lights, speed limit signs, or other drivers—you are basically admitting that you were not following the law. An officer is unlikely to cut you break for being distracted, and if he or she does, there is a good chance that you will still get a ticket for a lesser violation;
Getting an Emergency Order of Protection in Illinois
Despite countless public education campaigns and social efforts, domestic violence and abuse continue to plague millions of families around the country, including many victims here in Illinois. Public awareness of the problem offers little consolation to a victim who is currently being terrorized in his or her own home or place of employment. That is why, in addition to taking steps to eliminating domestic abuse, it is so important to understand what your options are if and when you are being abused by an intimate partner or family member.
Get to a Safe Location
If domestic violence is part of your daily reality, you need to take action to protect yourself and, if applicable, your children. Depending on the circumstances of your situation, your best option may be to temporarily leave your home and to stay with a trusted friend or family member. Resist the temptation to let your abuser know where you have gone, even if the abuser is your child’s other parent. Your safety and that of your child must be your top priority.
How an Order of Protection May Be Abused
Under an Illinois law, an order of protection may be issued by the court as a way to address concerns of domestic violence and domestic abuse. Orders of protection are also commonly sought by individuals going through divorce, as a way to legally separate themselves from their soon-to-be ex-spouse while the proceedings are still emotionally difficult and tensions are high.
Domestic Relationships
Illinois law provides that you can request an order of protection against a family or household member. An order of protection can also be filed against a person with whom you may have shared an intimate relationship, even if that relationship was in the past and/or was never legally recognized either by marriage or domestic partnership. An order of protection can also be filed against a blood family member or a family member related by marriage.
The Three Types of Orders of Protection in Illinois
The state of Illinois takes the safety of its citizens seriously. The Illinois Domestic Violence Act allows a person who been abused or is in danger of being abused by a family member or romantic partner to request an order of protection against the abuser. There are several steps in the process of obtaining such an order and three different types of orders. If you have been the victim of domestic abuse, it is important to understand your options.
Emergency Order of Protection
The first type of protective order is called an emergency order of protection, or EOP. An EOP can be issued by a circuit court judge in the county in which the alleged abuser or victim lives or the county in which the abuse took place. The victim must petition the court for an emergency order of protection and provide testimony regarding the abuse. If the court determines that there is a credible threat to the safety of the victim, it may issue an emergency order of protection with prior notification to the alleged abuser. The court will also set a date for a hearing regarding a more permanent solution. The emergency order can remain in effect until that hearing or for up to a maximum of 21 days.
Texas Authorities Say Mysterious Doorbell Ringer Was a Domestic Violence Victim
Over the last few days, social media outlets have been flooded with reposts of a video taken by a home security system in a Texas neighborhood. In the video, a partially-dressed woman can be seen with what appear to be broken restraints hanging from her arms as she rang the doorbell of a Texas home in the middle of the night. Now, authorities say the woman has been found safe and that she was a victim of domestic violence.
“It Was Very Odd”
Jennie Drude posted the original video last weekend. The mysterious woman was ringing doorbells in Drude’s neighborhood in the dead of night. Drude and a friend first sought advice from neighbors on a community Facebook page before posting the video in the hopes that the woman could be identified. “It was very odd to have a neighbor that would do something like this,” Drude said.
On Wednesday, a break in the case came, but it was not all good news. Just down the street from Drude, police responded to a call about a man threatening to kill himself. By the time the police arrived, the 49-year-old was dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The man’s suicide note referenced his 32-year-old girlfriend, who was not present at the scene, according to police.
Ohio State Domestic Violence Scandal Tells the Same Old Story With New Characters
One of the most recognizable names in college athletics is currently on administrative leave as the university for which he works conducts a full investigation into allegations that he covered up known instances of domestic violence perpetrated by a member of his staff. To be clear, Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer has not been charged with any crimes, but he has come under fire for his handling of the alleged behavior of one his long-time assistant coaches.
A Quick and Dirty Background
In 2009, Meyer was coaching at the University of Florida when one of his graduate assistants was arrested for domestic violence. The assistant allegedly shoved his pregnant wife against a wall. According to Meyer, his own wife got involved to help the young couple through counseling. In 2012, Meyer was hired by Ohio State University, and he brought the younger assistant with him despite knowing about the domestic violence concerns.
Domestic Violence Hurts Men Too
Have you ever seen a movie or a television show that depicted the serious struggle of a man trying to get out of an abusive relationship? There is a good chance you never have because such storylines are not very popular in modern entertainment. You probably have, however, seen shows or films in which a woman suffers abuse at the hands of her husband or boyfriend.
While today’s social landscape makes it somewhat easier than before to discuss domestic violence committed against men, the idea is still largely used for comedic effect in movies and on TV. According to Anne P. Mitchell, a retired family law professor, woman-against-man violence is often a “punchline of a larger, depressing narrative.” Male-against-female violence is almost universally condemned by cultural morality, but the same is not always true in the opposite direction.
Telling Numbers
A few years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed responses provided by over 18,000 adult Americans. The CDC’s survey found that just under 4.8 million women had experienced intimate partner violence in the last 12 months. In the same period, however, the CDC estimated that 5.2 million had experienced such violence as well. Obviously, violence against women is certainly a problem, but so is violence against men, and both must be addressed by a healthy society.
What to Do When You Are Pulled Over for a Traffic Violation
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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