Posted on September 21, 2015 in DUI

One of the most common ways for people to get tangled up in the criminal justice system is by being arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). The consequences for a DUI depend many different factors, but can include jail or prison time and large fines. There are also consequences for your driving privileges that may last even if you are not convicted of a crime.

What DUI Means in Illinois 

Under Illinois law if you are under 18 and you have any alcohol in your blood you will be charged with DUI. If you are operating a commercial vehicle with a Commercial Driver’s License, you will be charged with DUI if you have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .04 or higher. Drivers over age 21 will be charged with DUI if their BAC is .08 or higher.

You can be charged even if your BAC is lower than .08, if a police office determines that you are too impaired to drive. If your blood has any traces of illegal drugs like marijuana or methamphetamine you will be charged with DUI. If you have prescription drugs in your system and a police officer judges you to be too impaired to drive, you will be charged with DUI.

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 Posted on September 12, 2015 in Criminal Law

If you have been arrested in Illinois, chances are your case will not go to trial. Almost 95 percent of criminal cases in the United States never reach trial and are instead resolved with a plea deal or a plea bargain. But, the decision to plead guilty and accept a plea bargain should not be taken lightly.

What is a Plea Bargain?

Prosecutors will often offer a criminal defendant a deal in order to entice them to plead guilty to a crime. The prosecutor may agree to drop some charges if the defendant pleads guilty. Another common part of a plea deal is the prosecutor agrees to recommend a lighter sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. You can think of a plea bargain like a contract. You agree to plead guilty to one or more crimes, and the prosecutor agrees to either drop some charges or recommend a certain sentence.

The Effects of a Plea Bargain

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 Posted on September 04, 2015 in Criminal Law

Illinois separates all crimes into two different categories. Misdemeanors are crimes that are generally less serious than felonies. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor you will be sentenced to a maximum of one year in jail, but may get probation and not serve any time behind bars. If you are convicted of a felony you will be facing more than a year in prison, but depending on the crime, you may be sentenced to a lengthy period of probation instead of prison.

Types of Misdemeanors 

The Illinois Criminal Code has three different types, or categories of misdemeanors. Each category has its own maximum penalties. Class A misdemeanors have the harshest penalties and Class C misdemeanors have the lightest maximum penalties.

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