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Recent Blog Posts
Avoiding Criminal Charges When Traveling
We frequently use this space to present information about new laws taking effect in Illinois, strategies for keeping yourself safe, and protecting your rights in the face of arrest or criminal charges, among a variety of other related topics. With many people starting to make plans for spring or summer vacations, we thought some might find it interesting to learn about the items or activities that, while traveling outside the United States, could result in your arrest.
Know Before You Go
There are many things that citizens of the United States take for granted. However, when traveling abroad, it is smart to take some time and research the local laws in your destination. Presented in the list below are some of the things considered illegal in foreign countries that an American may find quite unusual.
- Mullets and ponytails are illegal in Iran. Long, bushy beards are fine, but hair styles on men that reflect “western” ideals are against the law.
Can I Lose My Drivers License Due to Distracted Driving Citations
Distracted driving has become a growing problem everywhere, including in Joliet and Will County. According to a press release issued by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Illinois motorists received over 18,000 citations and warnings for distracted driving, mostly for the use of handheld phones/electronics, during the inaugural Distracted Driving Awareness Week in April 2017.
This law enforcement crackdown was motivated, in part, by statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that in 2015, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers. Because of this increased scrutiny toward distracted driving, drivers should be aware of the consequences to their driver’s license that can result from a citation.
Chicago Teen Arrested Twice in the Same Weekend
When a juvenile is arrested on the suspicion of committing a crime, he or she is often charged and then released into the custody of a parent or another family member. In many cases, this is a reasonable approach, as teens tend to be cowed by the reality of being arrested and facing consequences for their alleged crimes. Sometimes, however, a juvenile will shake off the arrest like nothing happened and go right back to doing what he or she was doing before. Such seems to have been the case for a Chicago teen who was arrested twice in a single weekend related to two separate carjackings.
Teens Tried to Steal Retired Cop’s Car
This past Friday evening, news outlets report, a retired Chicago police officer parked in front of a Streeterville hotel and began unloading his bags before checking in. The retired officer—who now serves as a Texas Marshal—says he saw a young male get into the driver seat and attempt to drive off in the car. According to reports, the man chased the car, pulled the teen out, and held him on the ground. Two other teens allegedly then got into the car and tried to run the man over, but witnesses blocked the car.
Repeat Offenders
Once a person is apprehended in the commission of a crime, charged, and sentenced, it is difficult for many to understand why the defendant might repeat the crime. However, when a pattern emerges or habits are repeated, especially regarding criminal acts, an individual may find themselves facing felony criminal charges and a possible prison sentence. This point is illustrated by a recent story involving a certain woman who apparently just cannot stay away from airplanes or airports.
Stowaway Charged with Theft
In what is one of the strangest cases of repeated criminal behavior occurring recently, an Illinois woman has made multiple appearances in court for flying without paying for a ticket. In the latest stowaway incident, the defendant boarded a plane and flew to London. She is believed to have flown from Chicago without paying for a $2,400 plane ticket. Upon her arrival, she was detained, returned to Chicago, and subsequently charged with felony theft and misdemeanor criminal trespassing. The judge, upon releasing her, warned her to stay away from both the O’Hare and Midway airports. The story, however, does not end there.
Bar Fights Can Lead to Assault and Battery Charges
During the cold winter months, many Illinois residents find warmth and relaxation by visiting local bars, taverns, and pubs. While most people do not ever plan on getting into a bar fight, it can be a fairly common occurrence in some establishments. Often, those involved in the fight did not start it or intend for anyone to be hurt. However, this does not mean that those individuals cannot be charged with a crime. Assault and battery charges can be brought against anyone involved in a bar fight and with them can come serious punitive consequences. If you have been charged with assault and/or battery, there are a few things you should know.
Illinois Assault and Battery Law
There exists some confusion about the difference between assault and battery. In Illinois, assault occurs when someone threatens harm to another person and battery occurs when contact is made or harm is actually inflicted. You do not have to touch someone else in order to be charged with assault. It refers to instances when a person feels that their safety is being threatened or that they are at reasonable risk of injury. Assault is often paired with battery, which requires actual contact with intent to harm or contact of an insulting or provoking nature. Although the two usually co-occur, battery can be committed without assault and vice versa.
Attorneys Arrested in Connection With Hip-Hip Mogul Murder Trial
A famous rap producer stands accused of purposely running his truck into two other people on the set of an advertisement for a movie in Southern California in 2015. One of the victims died from the injuries he sustained and the other was injured. Although the defendant claims that he acted in self-defense, security footage shows him plowing his truck into the group of people. He originally fled the scene but later turned himself in to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. In separate cases, the producer is also accused of robbery and threatening the director of the film.
Possible Bribery and Witness Tampering
Two attorneys who previously represented the former hip-hop mogul in his ongoing murder case have been arrested. The two were charged with acting as “accessories after the fact.” Investigators claim to have evidence of possible witness tampering, conspiracy to violate a court order, bribery and obstruction of justice. In August, Los Angeles County prosecutors alleged that the attorneys, along with others, had tampered with witnesses and discussed bribes connected to the musician’s murder case. The attorneys have denied any wrongdoing.
A New Year Means New Laws in Illinois
At the beginning of each new year, the state of Illinois enacts a number of new laws that impact nearly every aspect of people’s lives throughout the state. From divorce to nursing teen mothers, the Illinois legislature considered a wide variety of areas affecting citizens. We are using this space to summarize some changes to the Illinois criminal code and traffic safety laws.
Safe Driving
Every year, private citizens and automobile dealers, both new and used, attempt to sell vehicles. A new law in Illinois hopes to make taking test drives a little bit safer. House Bill 733 (HB 733) requires that no vehicle leaves a lot with stickers, price tags, or other notices affixed to the car’s windows that reduce visibility for the driver. This new law also applies to privately owned cars, which can no longer be operated on Illinois roads with a “for sale” sign displayed in the windshield.
Breath Testing Following Arrest for DUI: Facts and Rights
In the unfortunate event that you are stopped by the police and accused of driving under the influence, you should be aware of the types of tests that you may be asked to undergo and understand the consequences of agreeing versus refusing to undergo these tests.
The three types of tests are field sobriety tests, portable breath tests, and evidentiary breath tests. The first two types of tests are conducted at roadside and are used, along with a police officer’s other observations, to determine if the officer has probable cause to place you under arrest. This post will focus on the post-arrest evidentiary tests.
Understanding the Types of Evidentiary Tests for DUI
If you are arrested for DUI, you will be taken to a police station and asked to submit to evidentiary testing. Officers will perform chemical testing of your breath, blood, urine, or other bodily substance to determine your blood-alcohol content (BAC) or the presence of other intoxicants. Most commonly, a stationary or desktop breathalyzer machine will be used. Urine testing at the police station or blood testing at a hospital are other common testing techniques.
Adults and Teen Brawl at High School Wrestling Meet
Sporting events have the ability to bring out the competitive nature in most people, and this is fine if they are the actual competitors. However, when spectators allow the excitement and intensity of sports to impair their judgment, leading them to commit criminal acts, they can find themselves in an embarrassing and expensive legal predicament.
Rivalry Seeps into the Bleachers
Police in the southwest suburban city of Joliet were called to a local high school in November regarding a report of a fight in the stands among spectators attending a wrestling match between two local high school teams. Information from the incident seemed to indicate that fans from both teams were arguing when a member of one of the teams attempted to intervene. The following facts were reported:
- A visiting fan became “very vocal” and was confronted by parents of the home team.
Should You Refuse a Portable Breath Test During a DUI Investigation
In the unfortunate event that you are stopped by the police and accused of driving under the influence, you should be aware of the types of tests that you may be asked to undergo and understand the consequences of submitting to or refusing these tests.
The three types of tests are field sobriety tests, portable breath tests, and evidentiary breath tests. This post will focus on portable breath tests (PBTs), sometimes called preliminary breath tests or portable breathalyzers. PBTs are conducted at the site of the traffic stop. The police will consider the PBT result along with field sobriety tests and other observations to determine whether or not arrest you for DUI.
Understanding the Portable Breath Test (PBT)
A portable breath test is conducted with a handheld device. These devices are not as accurate as the desktop devices used for the so-called evidentiary tests which occur following an arrest
One important thing to remember is that the police are required to ask for your consent before administering a PBT, and they must give you sufficient time to refuse. An officer’s failure to give you the opportunity to refuse can, by itself, be cause to invalidate an arrest based on that PBT, as decided in a 2016 Illinois court ruling.
