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Assault of any kind is a serious offense in the state of Illinois, but the consequences will often depend on the severity of the charge. For example, is the charge related to assault charges or aggravated assault charges? Learn what the differences are between the two, including how they vary in terms of potential consequence, with help from the following information.
Assault in Illinois
The law states that assault is an act in which one causes another person to believe they may be at risk for battery (physical harm). There does not need to be any evidence of harm, nor is one required to make physical contact with a person to be accused of assault. Instead, one can be charged with this act by shaking their fist in someone’s face, threatening them with words or body movement, or otherwise causing them to fear they may be in danger of bodily harm.
Technology changes and evolves so quickly that law enforcement often struggles to keep up. However, most states do have at least some laws in place to protect potential cybercrime victims. Furthermore, the United States government regularly question, arrest, detain, and even convict individuals who are suspected of cybercrimes. Now, with the announcement from Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, there may be even more cybercrime arrests.
The Crackdown on Cybercrime
In an August 29, 2017, press release, the Department of Justice announced that it had strengthened its ability to press charges against individuals suspected of cybercrimes. A full cybercrimes lab and over 45 different attorneys will be working to bring them down. What sorts of crimes will they be investigating, and what might it mean for you or a loved one if you become suspect in a cybercrimes case? The following explains further.
When one is arrested for their first DUI, they might assume that the charges will be minor. Unfortunately, this is not always true. In fact, under the right circumstances, even a first-offense DUI could become a felony. Learn more about the situations that may lead to such a charge, and discover how an experienced attorney can help you fight the charges.
First-Offense DUIs Typically Charged as Misdemeanors
In most instances, a first-offense DUI is considered a misdemeanor offense. If convicted, the consequences could include up to one year of jail time, fines, civil penalties, and a one-year suspension of your license. You may have an option for restoring your driving privileges, but you would be required to have a breathalyzer interlock device on all your vehicles. Because these consequences can have a significant impact on your life, it is advised that you seek legal assistance, even at this lower level of DUI consequence.
Facing criminal charges can be a frightening and confusing event. Thankfully, much of the fear and confusion can be mitigated against when you know your legal rights. Learn more about them in the following sections, and discover what an experienced criminal defense lawyer can do for you or your loved one in a pending criminal charges case.
Your Right to Be Treated as a Non-Guilty Person
The law states that you are innocent until proven guilty, which essentially means you are not to be treated as a guilty person while awaiting trial, no matter how incriminating the evidence against you seems. Law enforcement cannot punish you or treat you unfairly. They may not physically attack you, and they cannot treat you inhumanely. You must be supplied with basic life necessities, such as food and water. In addition, law enforcement cannot continue to detain you past the state-appointed time limit if they do not have enough evidence to prosecute.
In 2015, more than 1,000 non-violent, low-level offenders spent more time in jail than they were sentenced to serve. The reason? They did not have the money to post bail. To keep this from happening any longer, and to ultimately reduce the overpopulation of local jails and prisons, Governor Bruce Rauner signed the Bail Reform Act into law. What is this new law, and how might it affect your criminal charges case? The following explains.
Cash Bail No Longer Required for Some Offenses
Criminal justice reform advocates have been criticizing the state’s bail system for some time now, calling it unfair to Illinois’ poorer and disadvantaged communities. Most could not afford the 10 percent down payment needed to meet bail. Instead, they would be forced to spend weeks, sometimes months incarcerated for non-violent or low-level crimes.
Assault charges are considered a Class C misdemeanor in the state of Illinois. They can result in fines, fees, and imprisonment. In addition, your reputation, employment, and housing may be at risk. Learn more about the potential consequences of an assault charge in Illinois, and discover how an experienced criminal defense attorney can help you fight against them.
Defining Assault Charges
Often, defendants assume they can win their case because they did not physically attack another person. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In fact, assault charges do not have to include physical contact with another person. Instead, you can be charged with assault, simply for causing someone to believe they are at risk of physical harm. Examples might include shaking your fist in someone’s face or throwing an object in the direction of another person with the intent to threaten. Aggravated assault is a heightened offense, and it involves threatening another person with a deadly weapon (i.e. knife, gun, vehicle, etc.).
An arrest or conviction on your criminal record can have a dramatic impact your personal life. It can reduce your employment opportunities and may even limit your housing options. Certain charges (particularly those related to driving while under the influence) can also increase your insurance rates and may have other collateral consequences. Thankfully, you may be eligible for an expungement of your record. Learn more about this option and how an experienced criminal defense lawyer can assist with the process.
What is Expungement?
At its core, expungement is a legal process in which your criminal charge or conviction is “sealed” from the eyes of the public. It means that most employers, landlords, insurance companies, and the public are unable to see the sealed arrests, charges, and/or convictions. However, not every record, charge, arrest, or conviction can be expunged. Instead, there are certain requirements that a person must meet to have their records sealed.
No matter how heinous their crimes might seem, juvenile offenders are, by all standards, children. They do not always understand the consequences of their actions, may struggle with impulse control, and have brains that are not yet fully developed. Yet, in Illinois, and in other states throughout the country, they are serving life sentences for crimes they allegedly committed.
A recent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, in which it was deemed unconstitutional to incarcerate a minor for life without parole, gives these offenders the chance to appeal their former sentences. Unfortunately, there may be more who receive the exact same type of sentence in the very near future. If your child is being charged with a serious or violent crime, the following can help you better understand what they may be up against and how you can attempt to protect them from a life behind bars.
In 2011, the State Attorney for LaSalle County created the State’s Attorney Felony Enforcement Unit (SAFE). In the roughly four years that it operated, the unit managed to confiscate over $1.7 million from Illinois drivers. They also filed more than 50 civil forfeiture cases and arrested 77 people on drug charges. The Illinois Supreme Court recently ruled that all acts – including those tied to criminal cases – were wrongful. The reason? The task force should never have existed. Learn more about what this could mean for your drug conviction case, and how an experienced criminal defense lawyer may be able to help.
Abuse of Power Rampant in SAFE Squad
Law enforcement is supposed to be a government entity, meaning it should operate and act within the law. Unfortunately, the SAFE Unit failed to do this. Not only did the Illinois Supreme Court rule that they had wrongfully searched the vehicles of Illinois drivers, but they also operated in a for-profit way. Funds from seizures were used to purchase everything from conferences in Las Vegas to office furniture, patrol cars, and even employee salaries.
A little more than half of U.S employers drug test potential employees before offering a job. An analysis of over 10 million workplaces found that the number of positive results is the highest it has been in 12 years. Marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine use is on the rise nationwide. According to the analysis carried out by Quest Diagnostics, 4.2 percent of drug tests produced positive results in 2016. That number is up 4 percent from 2015, making it the highest rate since 2004.
Marijuana Leads in Drug Use
Although the Illinois rate of positive drug tests was the same as the national average, drug use varies between different regions. For example, Chicago’s suburban residents tested positive for cocaine more than other drugs. Southern Illinois residents tested positive for opiates more often than other areas, and heroin use was most common near Rockford.
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