In Illinois, defendants facing years of prison may not actually have to complete their entire sentence. Defendants are often eligible for sentence credit based on the completion of programs or services rendered while they are in jail awaiting sentencing or during...
In Illinois, there are different levels of retail theft charges for which the punishments can differ. A punishment can increase from misdemeanor to felony after a theft exceeds a relatively low monetary value. Retail theft in Illinois is when an individual “takes...
In Illinois, a defendant charged with a felony criminal offense is entitled to a bond hearing to determine the amount of bail. A person charged with an offense is allowed counsel at the hearing at which bail is determined under Article 110 of this Code. If the...
A court’s jurisdiction is “the authority given by law to a court to try cases and rule on legal matters within a particular geographic area and/or over certain types of legal cases.” Basically, it is a court’s area of authority. For example, the State of Indiana would...
In Illinois, there are two chemical breath tests that may be offered to a person suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. First, after an officer administers the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFTS), he may request a driver take a Portable Breath Test...
The City of Chicago recently saw the case of Jason Van Dyke, who was charged with first-degree murder. Before the jury began deliberating, they were told that they could also consider a second-degree murder conviction for the former officer. Though these charges are...
Many people who possess guns in Illinois do not know the laws regarding these weapons and often face serious criminal charges. However, not all weapons charges are felonies. There are common misdemeanor charges in the State of Illinois regarding firearms....
Over the last decade the Cook County State’s Attorney Office and the Illinois General Assembly have worked to offer programs to first time offenders for drug and theft offenses. These First Offender Programs are designed to give minors the opportunity to keep charges...
When you hear “Driving Under the Influence,” you are most likely thinking that it is referring to alcohol. In fact, the first statute under 625 ILCS 5/11-501 states that “the alcohol concentration in the person’s blood, other bodily substance, or breath is 0.08 or...
Robbery occurs when one person takes another’s property by physical force or with the threat of physical force. Armed robbery occurs when a weapon, most often a gun, is used during a robbery. An armed robbery is a Class X felony in Illinois and carries hefty...