To legally possess a firearm in the State of Illinois an individual must carry and maintain a Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) card. However, you may not know that a FOID card is also required to possess ammunition. “Firearm ammunition” is defined under Illinois...
The most serious misdemeanor offense you can face in Illinois is Domestic Battery (720 ILCS 5/12-3.2). Only a DUI (625 ILCS 5/11-503) may jeopardize your career, family circumstances, and personal life as much as a conviction for Domestic Battery. For example, a...
Weapon and firearm offenses are serious criminal cases for prosecuting attorneys in both Federal and Illinois State courts. A common charge is Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Though other weapon types fall under this charge, let’s look at this law as it pertains to...
Defendants facing criminal charges in Cook County should be concerned about the possibility of jail or prison time. However, only a small percentage of first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors and non-violent felonies will be sentenced to jail or prison. Most of...
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...
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....