What Punishments are There for a First Time DUI Offense?
According to the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists and the Illinois State Police, there were 5,619 arrests for DUI in 2016. Chicago Police reported 2,592 arrests themselves. In the Chicago metropolitan area, Elgin ranks third in terms of sheer number of DUI arrests, with 365. That means that there was a DUI arrest in Elgin, on...
Read MoreThe Five Most Common Mistakes People Make When Talking to Police
Picture this: on one hand, you have a champion chess player, who has played in a thousand matches. She knows every single trick in the book, because she wrote the book. On the other hand, you have a regular person. They may know the rules, but their understanding of chess strategy is rough. When you’re...
Read MoreIf You Feel Unsafe Around Cops, Call a Lawyer to Protect Yourself
Law enforcement officers are supposed to keep us safe and protect us, and for the most part they do that. Unfortunately, there are some police officers who fail to understand that they are supposed to act responsibly even when interacting with a “suspect.” In June 2011, Flint Farmer was infamously shot and killed by a...
Read MoreDouble DUIs: Better to Learn the First Time
A second DUI offense, especially if you are currently dealing with penalties from your first DUI, can be particularly difficult. In these situations, Illinois courts are more likely to impose strict penalties since the defendant has shown he/she did not learn from the first offense. That’s why it’s vital to have tough legal representation to...
Read MoreFriday Night Drinks: Be Careful Before Driving
For September 8th, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel agreed to lift the decades-long “prohibition” on Friday night games at Wrigley Field, allowing the Cubs to play the Brewers with the blessing of MLB. Though the Brewers didn’t like this (they were counting on taking advantage of a day game), they did end up winning with a...
Read MoreBartenders: Are They Liable for What Their Patrons Do?
A Palatine-area bar recently got into some legal “hot water.” In the mix were a former American Idol contestant, a bartender, and a nasty bar fight. On July 8th, a confrontation between patrons and bar staff concerning a knocked-over table erupted into physical blows. The former American Idol contestant, who was asked to leave along...
Read MoreDead Fish Results in 120 Days in Prison - Could Have Been Worse
Recently, a man in Connecticut was sentenced to 120 days in prison for "breach of peace" after getting into a fight with his girlfriend and destroying some of her property, including killing her pet fish. While this may seem like a fairly minor (though cruel) crime, it shows just how quickly domestic matters can escalate...
Read MoreNo, You Can not Use a Monopoly Get Out of Jail Free Card
While it may be fun to imagine, the rules of the board game Monopoly do NOT actually extend into the real world. That includes the use of Chance and Community Chest cards. But in particular, the "Get Out of Jail Free" card. This card is just no substitute for having a knowledgeable, experienced, criminal defense...
Read MoreWhat Do I Do If My Pizza Comes with Extra Drugs?!
Usually, when you order a pizza, you just get dough, cheese, some pepperoni or whatever other toppings you wanted. And maybe some breadsticks. Every now and again, however, life can throw you a curve ball and you find yourself with something unexpected. For example, if you ordered pizza from a certain Papa John's in Washington...
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