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Particularly in larger cities, citizens are flexing their right to protest peacefully. Americans join in high numbers to exercise an unalienable right to have their voices heard. Regardless of whether you agree with these protests, the likelihood of finding yourself caught up in one on the way to work is a growing possibility.
Occasionally, these peaceful protests go awry and no longer qualify as peaceful, leaving those in their paths fearful for their personal safety. When caught in a demonstration unexpectedly, how do you utilize your Second Amendment rights for protection without becoming subject to a weapons charge?
Illinois Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon is a felony in Illinois, and is punishable by hefty fines, imprisonment, and a permanent mark on a criminal record. Unless you are on your personal property or place of business, you may incur charges of Aggravated UUW if:
No matter how old children get, parents will seek to protect them and provide them with the best life possible. Therefore, if it is within a parent's power, he or she will want to provide his or her child with the best possible defense when facing a legal battle.
Understanding the laws surrounding one's criminal allegations is imperative to any successful defense strategy, and as of January 1, 2017, a new round of legislation will take effect regarding juvenile defenses.
Expungement Changes
At any age, even small charges remain on a criminal record no matter the outcome of the case. Criminal accusations can dramatically alter the life of a teen, potentially preventing future employment opportunities and lessening the probability of a degree in higher education. However, with the new year, new possibilities are available to erase the dark marks through expungement. Certain criteria must be met to qualify, including:
Domestic violence is a silent epidemic running rampant in our country. In Illinois alone, over 65,000 cases of domestic violence were reported in 2014. However, many of these cases were falsely reported to obtain other goals of the accuser. In other incidents, the information was embellished, creating harsher penalties than necessary. Accusations of this magnitude are life-altering upon conviction. The Illinois Domestic Violence can work for you or against you, depending on your defense strategy.
What is the Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA)
The Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA) was created in 1986, starting a new era in the world of domestic relations. The IDVA regulation defines the terms of domestic abuse, explains to whom it relates, and outlines law enforcement actions to protect victims. Consider the following specifications:
Upon becoming the recipient of a traffic ticket in Illinois, many make the mistake of simply paying their fines and going about their daily routine. However, doing so is a guilty plea and results in the addition of points on your license. These points build up and roll off, both affecting your driving record. With too many points, further consequences can be expected.
Earning Points
Unlike other situations in which the objective is to accumulate as many points as possible to win a game, prize, or goal, in this situation, the intention is to remain with little to no points. The addition of these tallies can eventually have adverse effects on your driving privileges, including license suspension. Points are earned with each additional citation with a guilty plea or verdict. The number of strikes received depends on the crime and other factors. A few common errors that result in points are:
Having a charge on your criminal record for any crime can be life-altering. However, drug-related crimes have exceptionally stronger impacts than lesser crimes. Not only is there the legal punishment that comes from conviction, but there are also secondary consequences to consider. For instance, you may lose your government funding for higher education in addition to losing your employment and livelihood. Consider contacting an attorney to reduce or avoid penalties.
Drug Schedules
Although it may sound like what time of day to take your doctor-prescribed medications, drug schedules in the legal sense are a factor used in determining penalties issued for drug crimes. Schedules were created to categorize the potency of the drug, the proclivity for addiction and abuse, and whether or not the substance has any medical usages. The current schedule is set as follows, starting with the least severe:
When your actions have caused death or bodily harm to another, you may be faced with criminal charges. What happens, though, when your actions were in self-defense, or done to protect your home or a loved one? Is this still a criminal matter, or can you use justifiable force as a viable defense in your case? The answer to this depends on the situation. However, the following information can help you understand the basics of justifiable force in Illinois.
When Might Justifiable Force Apply?
Justifiable force cannot be used for every circumstance or every case. To effectively exercise this defense, you must have been defending yourself or another person from an unlawful act (i.e. sexual assault, battery, murder) or from death or bodily harm. Alternatively, you may be able use justifiable force in a situation where you were protecting your own property or a family member’s property from a break-in, attack, or other unlawful act. Still, this is not a blanket defense. There are other nuances to justifiable force that you must be aware of before trying to use it in your case.
You are charged with your first DUI. You knew you only had one drink and were safe to operate your vehicle. The swerve the officer reported occurred when you were avoiding a deer. The shifts in your driving speed were because it was late on a Friday after a long week of work and you were not even paying attention to your foot. Shocked to see an officer’s lights in your rearview mirror, you assumed you might have been speeding. When the officer asked you to submit to a breathalyzer, although confused, you agreed. You failed. Your life is dramatically altered now because of that test, which, in your opinion, was wrong.
The Outlook
If you have never been the recipient of a DUI, a wealth of new thoughts may be running through your mind, not the least of which is what this can do to your future. In Illinois, there are strict regulations pertaining to the punishment of DUI offenders. Consequences for the first offense include:
Crimes most commonly occur without the watchful eye of others — people are afraid of being caught and the conscience is not as easily ignored. Over recent years, there has been a steady increase of online purchasing and the rise of credit card fraud. The temptation of getting untold amounts of items without paying for them becomes overwhelmingly enticing for many and is surprisingly easy to accomplish through credit card fraud. However, a conviction of such magnitude is something that is to be considered and combatted with the assistance of a legal professional.
Forms of Credit Card Fraud
Ultimately, credit card fraud is using the account information of another individual for one’s purposes without consent. However, this is a highly generalized statement, and the behavior has multiple levels and can occur in varying forms. It is possible that someone has committed fraud without knowledge. The eight varying types of fraud consist of the following:
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered a serious offense no matter where you live in the United States. However, in Illinois, punishments have the potential to be harsher than other states. The Illinois State Police site DUI as the cause of hundreds of deaths annually and hundreds more seriously injured and even disabled. Also with this reasoning, judges often enact strict, life-altering punishments upon conviction. With proper legal knowledge and etiquette, it is possible to receive a lesser penalty or special permissions, such as a Monitoring Device Driving Permit.
Standard Penalties
Along with a price hike in your insurance premiums, points on your license, and a mark on your record, there are additional penalties that can ensue after being formally found guilty of a DUI. For a first time conviction, these penalties include:
In the state of Illinois, a battery is never taken lightly. When the victim is a woman, in some circumstances, punishments can be harsher. If the victim is a pregnant woman, the repercussions double. Not only are there charges for the attack on the woman, but also the child she is carrying. The crime then becomes twofold as aggravated battery and battery of an unborn child.
Aggravated Battery
Assault is a situation in which one person reasonably believes that they are in immediate danger of physical harm. The charge escalates to battery once physical contact occurs. Dependent on who the victim is and where the accident took place, the allegations may increase to aggravated battery. A woman who is pregnant is considered to be a part of the protected group. If the victim and the accused do not know each other but if the defendant knows that a person is pregnant, the charge elevates from battery to aggravated battery. Aggravated battery is a Class 3 Felony. Sentencing for such a crime would be:
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