If you’re charged with a crime, you’ll want to know what aggravating factors for your potential sentence are. A statute may spell out a range of possible punishments, but some facts or issues can increase your senten... Read more
The charge of criminal trespass is taken seriously in Illinois, with punishments that could include fines and even imprisonment. There are many types of criminal trespass which are usually charged as misdemeanors, but th... Read more
If you’ve served your time and feel a need to own a firearm, you may wonder, can a convicted felon own a gun legally in Illinois? With rare exceptions, probably not, even if the conviction is in another state or federa... Read more
Being accused of domestic violence is a serious situation. In Illinois, if convicted, you may face a criminal case in court and can be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. Punishments include monetary fines and... Read more
When someone files a complaint against you in an Illinois court, you will be served with a summons that lets you know that a lawsuit has been brought against you and what you must do to respond. In the lawsuit, you are... Read more
When someone is arrested, the arrest is recorded in a public record. This is called a public arrest record, which is a little bit different from a criminal record. Even if an individual is eventually found not guilty of ... Read more
Anyone who is attacked and in danger of being harmed has the right to defend himself, but there are still times when a person acting in self-defense winds up faced with the possibility of going to jail. While Illinois la... Read more
Illinois law considers assault to be intentional conduct that reasonably causes a person to feel afraid of impending violence. Threatening to hit someone, when said in a menacing or angry manner and accompanied by conduc... Read more
Being arrested for a first-time DUI in Illinois is a frightening experience, and can leave you wondering what happens after your first DUI in Illinois? In short, you face both administrative and criminal penalties that m... Read more
Hate crimes are criminal offenses in Illinois, but so is falsely accusing others of a hate crime, as actor Jussie Smollett is alleged to have done. Smollett was charged by a grand jury with felony disorderly conduct f... Read more
