I thought marijuana was legal …can I still be arrested? As of January 1, 2020, the State of Illinois signed a law that allows adults, 21 years of age and older, to purchase cannabis products for medical and recreational use from licensed dispensaries in Illinois. However, don’t let this law fool you! Legalizing marijuana is...
Read MoreThe adage “what you don’t know, can’t hurt you,” has been proven wrong time and time again. As the author, Margaret Atwood once said, “sometimes what you don’t know can hurt you very much.” We all think of laws as coming from the State legislature and Congress, but when is the last time you or...
Read MoreWe have seen them on TV shows, movies, and in newspapers but few people understand the full role of a prosecutor in the criminal justice system. We will look at Cook County and the Cook County States Attorney Office, which represents a common lay out of prosecutor offices across the United States. The Cook County...
Read MoreIt is hard to miss former President Donald Trump’s name in the news nowadays – with indictments and legal troubles seeming to mount from all sides. With headlines blaring “Mr. Trump indicted,” and “District Attorney Alvin Bragg files indictment against Mr. Trump,” it is easy to get caught up in the legal jargon. So, what...
Read MoreFor many criminal and traffic clients, a waiver of criminal court assessments may be the first stroke of luck they have with criminal courts (a “waiver” is when the Judge agrees to forgive or ignore some of your fees). The U.S. Census Bureau reveals that 12.1 percent of Illinoisians are experiencing poverty, which translates into...
Read MoreSometimes when a police car turns on their lights to pull someone over, they choose not to stop. Generally, not a great idea, but people refuse to pull over for a variety of reasons, including: They have drugs in their car; They have guns or other weapons in their car; They are intoxicated or under...
Read More“Junk science” is a method or test that has little or no actual support in the scientific community. Nevertheless, the prosecutors in counties across Illinois, including Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, McHenry and Will as well as the FBI rely on junk science to prosecute many of their cases. The State will even use junk science...
Read MoreWith 2023 officially upon us, over 180 new laws are going into effect in Illinois. A few of these laws will have an impact on criminal and traffic cases. Some of these laws will also effect people currently incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections and County Jail. This article provides a brief summary of...
Read MoreThe SAFE-T Act has been hailed by some as an end to an oppressive cash bail system that criminalizes poverty. Others have called it a “purge law” that will release dangerous criminals into the street and render police powerless to aid their communities. Major parts of the controversial SAFE-T Act are set to take effect...
Read More