Posted on January 20, 2016 in Criminal Defense

In Illinois, fleeing and eluding is taken very seriously. Therefore, all drivers should be aware of the law and how to avoid committing the crime. But what qualifies as fleeing and eluding in Illinois, and what are the potential consequences drivers face if they are charged with the crime?

What is Fleeing and Eluding?

In Illinois, fleeing and eluding could involve a high speed car chase, or simply a motorist failing to stop when directed to by an officer. Any driver that receives a signal from a police officer and neglects to pull over could be charged with fleeing and eluding. The state’s law says that the signal “may be by hand, voice, siren, red or blue light,” and that if the officer is in a vehicle, the vehicle will “display illuminated oscillating, rotating, or flashing blue lights which when used in conjunction with an audible horn or siren would indicate the vehicle to be an official police vehicle.” Additionally, the officer must be in proper uniform. If a driver fails to act once he or she has been official signaled by an officer, he or she will likely be charged with fleeing and eluding.

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 Posted on January 15, 2016 in Criminal Defense

As the debate on the incredibly high number of inmates in America continues, many state officials across the country are pledging to reduce prison populations in their states within the coming years. Last year, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner announced his goal of reducing the state’s large inmate population by 25 percent within the next 10 years. Now, thanks to a new package of laws that went into effect at the start of the new year, Illinois officials are doing even more to reduce the number of inmates in the state. The group of laws all aim to reduce the population of juveniles in the state prison system, many of whom continue to cycle in and out of prison for the rest of their lives.

The first law changes how and when teenagers can be tried as adults. Previous Illinois law required that teens, ages 15 and older, be tried as adults when charged with one of five state determined serious crimes: armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and first-degree murder. Additionally, any teen tried once as an adult would automatically be tried as an adult for any future offenses, a practice often called “once an adult, always an adult.”

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 Posted on January 13, 2016 in Violent Crime

Police departments across the United States faced a large amount of criticism in 2015. America’s trust in our police forces was tested time and time again, thanks to the year’s many viral videos depicting police brutality, high profile cases, and questionable police department secrecy. Fortunately for the Chicago Police Department, things may be looking up in 2016.

A report recently released by the department shows that despite an increase in gun violence and gun related crime, overall crime in the city dropped for the fourth consecutive year. For a city that experienced the most homicides of any city in the United States in 2015, a drop in overall crime is very good news.

According to the department’s report, overall crime in the city dropped 6 percent from 2014. The report notes that robberies, assaults, burglaries, rapes, and thefts dropped significantly. Additionally, the report notes that violent crime fell substantially as well. In fact, the amount of violent crime that took place in Chicago in 2015 is the lowest the city has seen since the 1960’s. Since 2011, overall crime in Chicago has dropped 37 percent.

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 Posted on January 08, 2016 in DUI

Drivers found guilty of a DUI in Illinois in 2016 can breath a small sigh of relief—thanks to a new law that went into effect January 1st, Illinois no longer requires a mandatory driver's license suspension for drivers caught driving under the influence.

Despite a steady push for mandatory license suspensions from anti DUI activists and lawmakers over the past few decades, Illinois now joins many other states across the United States in requiring that special breath monitoring devices be installed instead of license suspension.

In the past, drivers caught under the influence and found guilty of a DUI faced a mandatory driver's license suspension for a minimum of 30 days. Activists and lawmakers believed harsh punishments were necessary to combat drunk driving; however, opinions across America are changing. Instead of license suspensions that make it difficult for offenders to resume their daily lives, the current trend in many states nationwide is instead installing breath monitoring devices that prevent cars from starting if alcohol is detected.

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 Posted on January 06, 2016 in Violent Crime

We have long known that air pollution is not beneficial to humans. Particles in the air are neurological irritants and have effects on human comfort levels and behaviors. Being surrounded by and inhaling pollution can lead to antisocial behavior, lack of productivity, and lower levels of awareness and alertness. Aside from the many health risks, experts have wondered if pollution may have another effect on humans.

In a recent paper published by the National Bureau for Economic Research, two researchers say their findings indicate a link between violent crime and car pollution in Chicago. Could pollution be a factor that drives people to commit violent criminal acts?

Thanks to a large amount of data from the Chicago Police Department, the two researchers were able to examine more than 2 million cases of major crimes committed from 2001 to 2012. The researchers pinpointed the locations of each crime, and noted their proximity to major interstates crossing the city, such as the I-290.

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 Posted on December 28, 2015 in Criminal Defense

Domestic violence affects millions of Americans each year, leading many to physical and mental health problems, loss of productivity, and for thousands of people each year, death. Domestic violence is a problem that affects all of us. In financial terms, domestic violence and abuse costs billions of dollars each year in the United States alone.

Now, experts and advocates across the country are calling for increased awareness from citizens, employers, and health care professionals, in hopes of drastically reducing the number of victims.

Why is Domestic Violence an Issue?

Domestic violence is a major issue worthy of national attention. One in 4 women in America are domestic violence victims at some point in their lifetime—millions of Americans each year that are physically, mentally, or sexually abused. In fact, the American Psychological Association reports that more than 4 million women experience physical violence from a partner each year. The problem is not exclusive to women either—15 percent of domestic violence victims in the U.S. are men.

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 Posted on December 23, 2015 in Criminal Defense

Sexual assault on college campuses across America is a consistent, serious problem that affects millions of students each year. Campus assault incidents have received major media attention in recent years, and have garnered the attention of many American politicians.

Just last year, President Obama started a White House college assault task force, the first of its kind, in hopes of studying and addressing the problem. Now, a recent survey released in September highlights just how important it is to address the issue. According to the Association of American Universities, one in four women experience some type of sexual assault on their college campus.

Conducted by the Association of American Universities, the recently released survey data shows that despite continued efforts from university officials and advocates across the country, sexual assault on college campuses remains a serious problem. Previously conducted survey on campus sexual assault showed similar numbers, but the A.A.U.’s survey stands out based its large number of participants spanning many universities across the country. 150,000 students across the country took part, spread across 27 American universities.

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 Posted on December 18, 2015 in Criminal Defense

Many drivers experience being pulled over at some point in their life, typically for violations like speeding or running a stop sign. These common encounters with officers are brief and usually end with a minor consequence like a warning or ticket. However most of us will never experience a situation like Sandra Bland—a woman who made headlines this past summer. Bland was pulled over as part of a routine traffic stop that quickly escalated, leading to her arrest. Bland later died in jail.

Unfortunate situations like Bland’s case do not happen often, but they provide an important reminder for all of us. As a U.S. citizen and motorist, you have a responsibility to understand your rights and be able to protect yourself in any unfortunate situations involving police. If you are pulled over by a police officer, consider the following tips to protect your rights.

You Do Not Have to Agree to a Search

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 Posted on December 16, 2015 in Criminal Defense

Modern day theft is becoming extremely creative. From identity theft to cyber crime, thieves are coming up with a variety of sneaky methods—many using new technology—to steal money from individuals and corporations. One of the newest and most lucrative tactics, known as ‘card skimming,’ has experts and everyday citizens extremely concerned.

Using high tech devices attached to ATMs and credit card readers in places like convenience stores and gas stations, criminals are able to collect, store, and use everyday citizen’s personal financial information.

What is Card Skimming?

Credit and debit card skimming can happen in a variety of ways. One of the most common ways is stealing personal financial information is through ATMs. High tech gadgets are installed on frequently used ATM machines which allow thieves to capture the card data on anyone who uses the ATM to withdraw money. To do so, thieves install a magnetic card reading device on top of the ATM’s card reader. These devices are made to look exactly like the real ATM reader underneath them, so users do not often catch on.

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 Posted on December 11, 2015 in Criminal Defense

Oklahoma City prosecutors recently charged two people with prostitution-related crimes—all thanks to witness-collected drone footage. The precedent setting incident, which occurred in November, is one of the first times in history that authorities have used drone collected footage to prosecute on prostitution-related charges.

Using his drone, a concerned Oklahoma City resident and self proclaimed ‘anti-prostitution activist’ captured footage of a sexual encounter between a local prostitute and a john, and he then turned the footage over to local authorities. County officials were able to use the footage to press charges against both people involved.

Law enforcement officials across the country do not typically employ drones, as laws surrounding the use of drones are still emerging. In most situations, authorities would need a warrant before using a drone to collect footage to be used in a case. However, civilians are able to use drones much more freely. Since it was a citizen that collected and submitted the footage to local officials, charges were able to be pressed against both parties.

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