Since sometime in March, counties in Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, DeKalb, Will and other courts in Northern Illinois have closed their courthouses due to the Covid 19 outbreak. Most of these counties have extended their closure dates from mid-April and then once more to Mid-May. Whether the closures will again be extended through June...
Read MoreIt was only a matter of time before the Coronavirus (known as Covid 19) pandemic hit the court systems in Northern Illinois. From Chicago to Joliet and from Waukegan to St Charles, every court system has been affected by the illness that has blanketed the United States and the World. If you have a court...
Read MoreIn every criminal case, the accused is afforded the presumption of innocence. Unless and until an individual is proven to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, each of us is cloaked with this protection. That is why one has rights under the United States Constitution, as well as the individual State Constitutions, to a trial...
Read MoreIn last week’s blog about the Miranda Warnings, we discussed that there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about how these warnings apply to a defendant’s individual case and whether a failure on the part of the police may later prove valuable in court. For decades, television has helped popularize the importance of Miranda warnings, but...
Read MoreDo you have the right to remain silent? Technically yes. Will anything you say be used against you? You bet it will! Do you have the right to have an attorney present during questioning? Well yes, but good luck getting the police to arrange that! If you can’t afford an attorney one will be appointed...
Read MoreFor many decades in Chicago and other Illinois city courts, experienced criminal defense attorneys sought out special plea deals from prosecutors seeking “reduced” or “amended” charges so that the original charge of DUI could be changed to that of “Reckless Driving”. There were many reasons for this, including that: Reckless Driving just sounds much better...
Read MoreWhether you’re applying for a job, trying to get into a school or seeking anything else that might require a background check, the question often arises about whether your criminal history can be discovered. Once upon a time (about 30 years ago), before there was something called the internet (yes, there was a time when...
Read MoreBeing charged with driving under the Influence is serious business. In Chicago and in every courthouse across the State of Illinois, even a first-time misdemeanor DUI offender is subject to a maximum of a $2500 fine and up to 365 days in jail. Depending on the person’s criminal and traffic background, this maximum penalty may...
Read MoreIt’s 10:30pm. A Chicago Police Officer hits his lights and pulls over a motorist for speeding on Lake Shore Drive. The officer slowly walks up the window of the vehicle and asks the driver exactly how fast he thinks he was going. After all, the policeman explains, the driver was travelling at over 75 miles...
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