Dupage County Lawyers
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CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND FAMILY LAW

Posted Jul 12, 2018 | Category: Criminal Defense, Prison System
Illinois Supreme Court to Hear Youth Crime Case

When children commit terrible crimes, should they be punished for most or all of the rest of their lives? Is our criminal justice system providing what children need to rehabilitate and become useful members of society? How much prison time is too much for crimes committed at an age when brains and judgment are not fully developed? In an attempt to deal with these issues, the Illinois Supreme Court will hear the case of Demetri Buffer, who received a 50-year prison sentence without parole for a crime he committed when he was 16. The plaintiff’s argument is that this sentence, 25...

Posted Jun 29, 2018 | Category: Family Law
A Major Shortcoming of Child Psychiatric Care in Illinois

Hundreds of children under the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are being held inside psychiatric hospitals for weeks or months, even though they have been cleared to leave. These children are supposed to be moved out of these hospitals to environments such as foster homes or residential treatment centers while receiving treatment, but often the DCFS fails to find appropriate placements. Unnecessary and prolonged hospitalizations harm children and families and are a failure of our state’s ability to care for suffering children. These long stays often have detrimental effects on children and can cause them...

Posted Jun 12, 2018 | Category: Family Law
What Common Knowledge Gets Wrong About Adoptions

Many people longing to be parents never even begin the adoption process because of fear that they may not qualify. Unfortunately, by counting themselves out too soon, they wind up depriving themselves of a chance to become a parent as well as depriving a child from having a good home. Adoption establishes you as a child's legal parent, with the same rights and responsibilities as having a natural child. The process of adoption is complex, involving providing medical history, character references, and having your background checked. Still, most people can go through the process successfully and wind up with a child. Choices for...

Posted Jun 07, 2018 | Category: Divorce, High Asset Divorce
Across the Atlantic, Studies Debunk Myths About Divorce

When it comes to divorce, having more money can often mean more problems. The Securities Exchange Commission defines a high asset or high net worth couple as a couple whose net worth exceeds $1,000,000, excluding the value of their primary residence. If you fall into this category, dividing your property during the divorce process can have complications and concerns with financial, tax, and other issues that other couples do not face. How big of a problem this becomes depends on what assets are involved, whether there are child custody and parental responsibility issues, and how willing you and your divorcing spouse...

Posted Jun 05, 2018 | Category: Divorce, Family Law
Across the Atlantic, Studies Debunk Myths About Divorce

Are people who stay together in marriages happier than those who divorce, and are populations with higher divorce rates less happy? It’s a well-known fact that divorce is increasingly common in the United States, with about 40% to 50% of married couples divorcing, according to the American Psychological Association. However, the divorce rate varies substantially among states, and even more when you compare the U.S. to other western countries. Surprisingly, a study has shown that one of the happiest countries in Europe has one of the highest divorce rates. Divorce, dividing property, deciding what is best for children, and other family law issues are...

Posted May 31, 2018 | Category: Criminal Defense
What Constitutes Probable Cause?

Probable cause is a fundamental principle in our criminal justice system. The concept stems from a requirement in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution that says "no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.” However, the term isn’t defined in the Constitution, so it is subject to interpretation by the courts. Probable cause must usually be met before police make an arrest, conduct a search or get a warrant. This means that police who wish to arrest or search someone, or get a warrant to do so, must show that they have probable cause to take these actions.  Probable cause can make the...

Posted May 29, 2018 | Category: Divorce
Why One Study Suggests Divorce Might Be Caused by Nature, Not Nurture

Are the chances of your marriage ending in divorce written in your genetic code and predetermined even before your wedding day?  It is already accepted as fact that your chances of divorce are increased if you are the child of divorced parents.  But is this tendency the result of nurture – because you learned this behavior from watching your parents; or is it caused by nature – because you inherited an assortment of genes that lead to behaviors that are not compatible with marriage? A new study published in Psychological Science by Jessica Salvatore and Kenneth Kendler, of the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric...

Posted May 24, 2018 | Category: Criminal Defense
Marijuana Laws Continue to Drive Conversation in Illinois

It might have resulted from just a youthful experimentation with drugs, but a drug charge can impact you long after it occurs.  If you are convicted, you will have a criminal record that will affect your employment and educational opportunities, limit your ability to get decent housing, ruin your relationships, and rob you of self-esteem. While more than one in four adults in America has a criminal record, most do not threaten public safety and will not go on to commit future crimes.  Most recidivism occurs within three years of an arrest; after that, rates decrease to the point where people with...

Posted May 22, 2018 | Category: Criminal Defense
When Profit Plays a Role in Policing

Illinois and federal law both allow law enforcement agencies to take cash, land, vehicles and other property they suspect may be involved in illegal activity from people charged with crimes, even if they have not been convicted.  This is called asset forfeiture, and it means private property can be permanently confiscated for the benefit of law enforcement without the owner's even being charged with a crime. The federal civil asset forfeiture laws were expanded in 1984 as part of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act (CCCA) due to anxiety over increasing crime, especially drug-related crime. While a paper by the National Bureau of Economic...

Posted May 17, 2018 | Category: Family Law
The Best Places in Illinois to Raise a Family

If you are living in Illinois or planning to move your family here, there are relevant facts you should know about the family-friendliness of your area.  Although the economy in our state has been struggling for years, with billions owed in past-due bills, there is some good news for Illinois in general.  Our state can boast having the 11th best school system in the country, rising home values, and some of the country's top employers. Some of our cities rank high in additional factors that making them some of the best places in Illinois to raise a family. To determine the...

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