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Domestic violence is a serious crime that can severely damage relationships with family, friends, significant others, and spouses. If you are convicted of domestic violence, you will face consequences that could destroy your quality of life—you may have a more difficult time obtaining employment, and may not be able to have contact with those whom you love.
Definition of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence occurs when a person knowingly causes bodily harm to any family or household member or makes physical contact of an insulting nature with any family or household member.
When a person is charged with domestic violence, he or she will face a Class A misdemeanor. If the offender has been previously convicted of domestic violence, then he or she will be charged with a Class 4 felony.
Illegally possessing a weapon is a serious crime that comes with unwanted consequences. Weapons are dangerous and can negatively affect the lives of others. If a weapon is used against a person, he or she may be seriously injured or even killed from injuries inflicted from the use of the weapon.
If you have been charged with illegally possessing a weapon, then you may face life-altering changes that may destroy your well-being, overall quality of life, and even future employment opportunities.
What Counts as a Weapons Charge?
The conviction of illegally possessing a weapon is when a person knowingly sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, or carries the following:
Christmas is less than two weeks away, and most of us are now finishing up on our holiday shopping. Unfortunately, beginning around Black Friday and ending near Christmas Eve, far too many instances of retail theft occur. Being accused of shoplifting, price-switching, or other forms of retail theft can come with very serious consequences.
How Many People Shop During the Holiday Season?
Over 174 million Americans shop in-store and online from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. On Black Friday, around 77 million consumers shop for the holidays, and 55 million consumers go holiday shopping on Small Business Saturday. On average, Americans will spend around $967 for holiday gifts. Overall, holiday sales will equate to around $682 billion this holiday season.
Speeding, in general, can result in serious criminal consequences upon conviction. Aggravated speeding – a heightened charge – can result in even greater penalties, especially if one has had any previous convictions. If you or someone you love is facing aggravated speeding charges in Illinois, the following information can help you better understand the potential consequences. You shall also learn what an experienced attorney may be able to do for you.
Speeding versus Aggravated Speeding
While minor speeding violations are not typically considered a criminal offense, aggravated speeding offenses are. It is this basic truth that creates most of the differences between speeding and aggravated speeding exist. For example, speeding does not typically result in jail time for the defendant but being convicted of aggravated speeding could. Some other possible differences to be aware of include possible jail time and elevated fees and fines. Individuals who plead guilty to or are convicted of aggravated speeding will also receive a misdemeanor conviction on their permanent criminal record. Sadly, this can affect everything from your ability to find a job to the amount you pay each month for automobile insurance.
Like many other states, Illinois has a strict, zero-tolerance law for minors. Essentially, this means that drivers under the age of 21 are not permitted to have any level of alcohol in their system. As such, blowing even just a 0.01 on a breathalyzer could result in criminal and administrative consequences. Learn more about them, including how an experienced attorney can help you fight back, in the following sections.
Potential Consequences of a Zero-Tolerance DUI
Minors who are caught driving while intoxicated stand to lose a lot if they are convicted of their charges. At a minimum, they could lose their license for two years and receive a misdemeanor conviction on their record. At worst, they could be convicted of a felony and face real jail time. Other possible consequences of a zero-tolerance DUI conviction could include:
When one is pulled over for suspicion of driving drunk, they may be asked to submit to a breathalyzer test. While, ultimately, you do have the right to refuse this test, doing so could increase your odds of experiencing an arrest and the subsequent penalties. Submit and blow a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that registers over the limit and you will be arrested anyway.
What is BAC and how does it affect your ability to drive? The following information explores the answer to these questions. You shall also learn how to fight back against the potential consequences of a DUI, including the suspension of your Illinois’ driver’s license.
What is BAC?
BAC is a measurement of the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream (or your “level of intoxication”) and it can only be accurately determined through a blood test. (Note that not all blood tests are accurate.) Obviously, law enforcement would not be able to use this type of testing out in the field, which is why they have breathalyzers. Able to detect the amount of alcohol in the mucous membranes of your mouth and throat, it can establish enough probable cause for a DUI arrest. Should that occur, you may be faced with serious criminal consequences.
Being arrested for allegedly driving under the influence (DUI) can have serious criminal consequences, such as jail time and hefty fines, but did you know there are non-criminal penalties as well? These penalties, otherwise known as collateral consequences, are not imposed by the court but they can still have a significant impact on your life.
Perhaps the biggest impact is felt under the statutory summary suspension law, which states that your license may be automatically suspended if you refuse to submit a chemical test or test above the legal limit. Although this is technically a violation of your Constitutional rights, the statutory summary suspension created a loophole that enables an unlawful invasion of your privacy. It indicates that all road users give implied consent to chemical testing because they are using highways and streets that belong to and are maintained by the government. Thankfully, you can fight back against this suspension. Learn how and discover what an experienced attorney can do to help.
All Illinois drivers give “implied consent” to breath, blood, and urine alcohol testing from the moment that they obtain their license. What does this mean, and what happens if you refuse a chemical test? The following information explains, and it provides some important details on where to find assistance with your Illinois DUI case.
What is the Implied Consent Law?
The implied consent law states that drivers must submit to a chemical test upon arrest or face the consequences. Keep in mind that this test is different than the preliminary test, which may be given either in lieu of or conjunction with a field sobriety test. The law says you give implied consent to this testing as well, but you can refuse it. Doing that may not help your case if the officer has another reason to suspect that you were driving while under the influence, but refusing a preliminary test rarely leads to a consequence. That is not the case with the refusal of the chemical test, which is usually requested shortly after your arrest.
The medical marijuana program in Illinois has provided many individuals with an alternative treatment option for debilitating pain, spastic disorders, and other severe illnesses. There is, however, one caveat: patients cannot drive while under the influence of marijuana. Sadly, the method for determining intoxication is, at best, ineffective and, at worst, inaccurate. Learn more about the medical marijuana DUI laws in Illinois, including how being arrested could impact nearly every aspect of your life and how an experienced DUI defense lawyer may be able to help mitigate the damage.
What is Wrong with Illinois’ Marijuana DUI Laws?
Drivers are prohibited from using any substance that can impair their driving abilities – and that includes prescriptions and medical cannabis. However, most substances can be detected with at least some level of accuracy. This simply is not the case when it comes to medical marijuana.
While state laws tend to dictate how juvenile and adult criminal cases are handled, there are some broad but universal views and beliefs within these two justice system types. It is by comparing the beliefs of each system that one begins to understand the distinct differences – including the impact that an adult case may have on a juvenile. Learn more about the differences between juvenile criminal cases and adult criminal cases, and discover how you can protect your teen from the potential consequences of an adult trial.
Rehabilitation
If there is any belief that distinguishes adult criminal cases from juvenile ones, it is that juveniles are developmentally different than adults. The perception that juveniles can be more easily rehabilitated than adults stems directly from this belief, and it can impact everything from sentencing to treatment options and release back into the community. For example, an alleged juvenile sex offender may be referred to a therapeutic program, but an alleged adult offender could be facing years of imprisonment and forced registration on the state’s sex offender site.
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