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Recent Blog Posts
Doorbell Cams Increasingly Popular with Homeowners and Police
Doorbell cameras, which take pictures of anyone approaching your house, have rapidly grown in popularity over the past few years. Homeowners use them to monitor family members (such as teens breaking curfew or having unapproved parties) as well as to deter crimes of opportunity such as criminal trespass, vandalism, home invasion, burglary, and porch package theft.
Sales of these home security cameras, also known as video doorbells, are projected to grow from $500 million to $1.4 billion globally over the next five years. Reasons for their growth include rising consumer interest in all types of smart-home devices, declining prices for video doorbell kits, easy installation and internet connectivity, and phone apps that let you see who is at the door right now and who visited in the past.
Should I Agree to a Plea Bargain?
Most cases in the Illinois criminal justice system do not end in a trial. Instead, in most cases a criminal defendant accepts a plea deal, also called a plea bargain. Before you decide if a plea bargain is right for you, it is important to understand how they work.
The Criminal Justice Process
Pleas are used by prosecutors to help keep the criminal justice system moving. Often, a defendant will receive a plea offer early on in the case. One of the first formal steps in a criminal case is the arraignment. This is a court hearing where the defendant is told what he or she is being charged with and where the defendant enters a plea of guilty, not guilty, or another legally acceptable plea.
Many criminal defendants have been offered plea deals prior to arraignment. This means they have the chance to plead guilty to a specific offense in exchange for the prosecutor agreeing to drop other charges or in exchange for the prosecutor recommending a lighter sentence. However, even if a not guilty plea is entered at the arraignment, there is often still a chance for a plea deal at a later point before trial.
Consequences of a Misdemeanor Conviction in Illinois
When some people hear that a crime is a misdemeanor, they automatically assume the crime is not a big deal. While it is true that the punishment for a misdemeanor is usually much less serious than for a felony, a single misdemeanor can still disrupt your entire life.
Understanding Probation and Conditional Discharge
The maximum penalty for a misdemeanor is one year in jail. However, many people who are convicted of a misdemeanor will serve little, if any, jail time. Instead, most will be sentenced to a period of conditional discharge or in some situations, probation. While probation is often preferable to jail time, it is not easy. Depending on the crime for which you are convicted, there will be a set of conditions that you must follow.
Common probation conditions vary based on the offense and can include:
- Paying fines;
Three Ways to Practice Responsible Firearm Ownership in Illinois
Guns have been a hot topic in recent years in American politics. According to the Gun Violence Archive, which is a nonprofit organization that provides information about gun violence, there have been 256 mass shootings—defined as four or more people being shot or killed during a single incident—in the United States since January 1, 2018. With the rise of mass shootings in the U.S., many people have been reconsidering the validity of the Second Amendment, which guarantees American citizens the right to bear arms, but many people argue that gun owners just need to be more sensible about owning their firearms.
While owning guns is an American privilege, you can still get into trouble if you are irresponsible with your firearms. By following these three tips for responsible ownership, you can lower the chance you can reduce your chances of being subject to criminal gun charges.
First-Time Distracted Drivers Will Face Stiffer Penalties in Illinois
Despite nearly a decade of ad campaigns and new laws intended to deter Americans from using handheld electronics while driving, bad habits persist. A recent survey found that half of US drivers still talk on handheld cellphones, 35 percent text message, and 29 percent admit to accessing the internet while driving. Distracted driving rates are even higher among drivers aged 18 to 29.
The definition of distracted driving includes talking on a handheld cellphone, texting, using the internet, or otherwise engaging with a handheld electronic device while driving. These behaviors remain a major concern for highway safety. Driver distraction plays a role in 10 percent of all fatal crashes and 15 percent of all injury crashes in the U.S., according to the latest available figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
When Does a DUI Become Felony in Illinois?
Most DUI charges in Illinois are only misdemeanor charges. A first-time DUI conviction is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by law with a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines. Each case is different and depending on the circumstances surrounding your case, you charges could be bumped up to felony charges.
Class 4 Felonies
Class 4 DUI felonies include:
- A DUI committed while driving a school bus that had at least one passenger on it who was under the age of 18;
- A DUI committed while driving a vehicle used to transport passengers and at least one passenger was on board;
- A DUI that resulted in great bodily harm;
- A DUI that was committed by someone who did not have a valid driver’s license or vehicle liability insurance;
- A DUI committed in a school zone when the restricted speed limit was in effect and the person was involved in an accident that resulted in bodily harm; and
Common Terms in Criminal Court
When you are facing criminal charges, there is a lot of uncertainty you will have to deal with. If you are like most people, you probably do not know the intricacies that come with a criminal trial, or how the courts operate. You probably are not familiar with many legal terms that are used both inside and outside of the courtroom when it comes to criminal trials. The following list of terms can help you understand what is going on when you do find yourself in the midst of a criminal proceeding:
Acquittal: This is the outcome that is most favorable with criminal cases - if you are acquitted, you were not found guilty because the evidence against you was not sufficient for a conviction.
Affidavit: This is a written statement, which must be confirmed by oath by the party who is giving the statement. An affidavit must be notarized by an officer of the court to be valid. In criminal cases, an affidavit often contains evidence, such as an alibi.
Illinois May Ease Laws on Driver’s License Suspension
Over 80 percent of Illinois residents drive their own car to work. To stay employed, having a valid driver’s license can be almost as important as a person’s skills and experience. Yet current Illinois law allows the Secretary of State to suspend your driver’s license for many different reasons, ranging from unpaid traffic tickets to driving under the influence.
According to a recent report, Living in Suspension, published by the Chicago Jobs Council, license suspensions can “force people to choose between unemployment, bankruptcy, or risking going to jail for driving on a suspended license.” To remedy the hardship imposed by license suspensions, the Illinois legislature is considering changes to the state laws that govern driver’s license suspensions.
Common Crimes Committed by Teens
While children committing crimes is not uncommon, it does not happen nearly as often as adults committing crimes. According to the FBI, there were 681,701 juveniles arrested and 7,799,901 adults arrested in 2016, which makes juvenile crime only eight percent of all crime in the U.S. Of those juveniles arrested, the majority of them were teens, with 491,126 juvenile arrests, or 72 percent, made to those who were between the ages of 15 and 18. While law enforcement has seen some disturbing increase in violent crimes committed by juveniles, there is a general trend for the types of crimes that teens tend to be arrested for.
Theft/Larceny: Over 107,000 juvenile arrests in 2016 were made because of theft/larceny charges. These charges include general theft charges and shoplifting charges. General theft occurs when a person takes possession of property that is not their own without permission from the owner. Shoplifting occurs when a person takes possession of an item that is for sale in a retail establishment. These charges can be misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the value of the stolen items.
How to Fight a DUI-Related Driver’s License Suspension
Did you know that you can lose your driver’s license just for being arrested for driving under the influence, even if you are not convicted of the crime of DUI?
Failing or Refusing DUI Testing = Automatic License Suspension
If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe you have been driving while intoxicated, you will be arrested and taken to a police station. Once there, you will be asked to submit to alcohol and/or drug testing, such as a breathalyzer test. If you either fail or refuse this evidentiary chemical testing, you will be handed a notice that your Illinois driver’s license is being suspended. This is an administrative penalty imposed by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and is known as a statutory summary suspension.
“Failing” drug/alcohol testing means that you tested over the legal limit for alcohol, THC (marijuana), and/or other drugs.
