Illinois Domestic Violence Shelters Struggle with an Uncertain Future

Most state-run domestic violence shelters receive over half of their annual budget from the Illinois legislature. Federal funding provides a smaller amount, with the rest coming from private donors. In some regions in the state, shelters aren't able to get the resources they need through private donation. So, they depend on those government allocations. When the state fails to provide...

Police Brutality

December 20th, 2015

Illinois Attorney General Requests Department of Justice Help

Historically speaking, police officers in the United States have always had complicated relationships with the communities they serve. It seems for every step forward, many departments take a step back. Despite countless reforms and vast improvements in enforcement technology, some officers still abuse their position. 2015 was particularly brutal. As a country, we saw police officers...

Gun Crimes

December 17th, 2015

Record Numbers of Guns Confiscated by Chicago PD

The number is staggering: 6,521. That is how many illegal guns were removed from Chicago streets in 2015. Taking that number a step further, it means 20 guns a day were confiscated. Or, to put it in a far more frightening context, one gun every 74 minutes was taken off the street.

Criminal Defense

December 13th, 2015

Lake Zurich Woman Sentenced After Lying to Police

Love can make you do crazy things. Travel long distances. Buy expensive gifts. But, there are some things you shouldn’t do no matter how in love you may feel. One of those things is making up a story to get your love interest's attention. Another is having that story involve the police.

Marijuana Laws

December 7th, 2015

Illinois Marijuana Decriminalization Possible in 2016

On December 11, Kentucky Senator Perry Clark filed the “Cannabis Legalization Act.” The proposed law would legalize and regulate marijuana the same way the state does with alcohol. Over the past few years, we in Illinois have watched our neighboring states get a little bit more relaxed with their marijuana enforcement. Iowa passed a bill...

Gun Crimes

December 2nd, 2015

Lake County Man Avoids Lengthy Sentence with Plea Deal

It is a simple equation - if you commit a crime with a gun, you may be looking at some serious jail time. Depending on the type of crime you commit and the level of violence involved, the charges could compound upon one another. Prosecutors generally waste no time in seeking the harshest punishment available....

Crime Statistics

November 23rd, 2015

White House Blames Out of State Gun Dealers for Chicago Violence

President Obama has taken a bold stance on gun violence happening here in Chicago by shifting the blame to out of state gun dealers. At a gathering of police chiefs dedicated to reforming the national justice system, the President suggested that Indiana and Wisconsin are at least partially responsible for the dramatic increase in Chicago's...

Police Brutality

November 15th, 2015

Live Video Coming to a Cop Near You

In a day when anyone can record just about anything on their smart phones, it is hard to image the police not being able to do the same thing at crime scenes. Despite the fact Chicago has had the largest network of cameras in the country since 2003 and access to one of the fastest broadband services in...

Crime Statistics

November 2nd, 2015

Chicago Isn’t the Most Violent Illinois City

Chicago has been in the news quite a bit lately. Most – if not all – of what's being reported is far from complimentary. A deadly uptick in violent crime throughout the city has prompted many officials and media personalities to dub Chicago the “Most Violent City in America.” Of course, while the title is...