This is a question that I am asked frequently around election time. Most people do not understand what the rules are when it comes to whether you are allowed to vote if you have a felony conviction. Rules vary from state to state and this has created confusion. People don’t…
The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen a dramatic rise in the number of mental health and substance abuse issues involving military veterans returning from serving in those wars. Some of these soldiers are returning home with mental health issues and are using drugs to deal with the mental…
The Public Safety Committee for the Village of Schaumburg has recommended that the Village of Schaumburg allow police officers to write local Municipal Violation tickets for first-time negligent driving offences. The measure is intended to go after drivers who are using hand-held cellphones while they are driving instead of hands-free…
You can be charged with Interfering with the Reporting of a Domestic Battery when you prevent a family member from making a call to report a Domestic Battery incident. You can also be charged with Interfering with the Reporting of a Domestic Violence charge if you interfere with a family…
Illinois law has made a special type of Probation available for first-time felony drug offenders to avoid a felony conviction on their record. This type of Probation is commonly known as Section 410 or Section 1410 Probation. In order to be eligible for this type of Probation, you cannot have…
The gun violence in Chicago has been a great source of concern among the citizens and politicians in Illinois for a long time. Every day we are inundated with news of shootings and homicides throughout the City. When the weather heats up we know that the number of shootings will…
Most DUI’s in Illinois are a misdemeanor. If you are operating a motor vehicle on the public roads with a blood alcohol level of .08 or above, you could be charged with a DUI. The maximum criminal punishment for a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois is up to one year…
Whenever I get a phone call from someone who is facing a Violation of Probation, the most common question I get is whether they will go to jail for their Violation of Probation? This is another impossible question to answer. While everybody wants an answer to their question, some questions…
One of the most common questions I get asked when I get a phone call from somebody who has recently been arrested is “can my case be dismissed if the police did not read me my rights when I was arrested?” The answer to that question requires an understanding of…
Clients that are charged with Retail Theft frequently call me a few weeks after they are arrested and tell me that they received a letter from the store’s lawyers demanding money. Sometimes, they receive this letter even if they haven’t been criminally charged for the Shoplifting. They usually have two…