On Monday, April 20 – widely known in cannabis culture as “420” – Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced the office will not prosecute most cases of misdemeanor possession. In its press release, the State’s Attorney Office wrote that … Continue reading
Click here to check out Samuel Partida’s collection of March 2015 criminal cases. And stay tuned for a strange and surprising list of illegal activities in Illinois!
A deceased trial judge’s decision to convict a man for murder based on evidence that was not offered by the State led Judge Posner to author an opinion in which he ardently condemned the trial judge’s basis for conviction and declared that his finding … Continue reading
Defendants convicted of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon can be charged with individual counts for each firearm possession and firearm ammunition possession. For example, if a convicted felon is carrying two loaded guns, he could be charged … Continue reading
As you ease your way back into work this Monday after a beautifully warm weekend (and Daylight Savings!), make sure to review Samuel Partida’s list of Top February Criminal Law Cases of 2015! Check back later this morning for an … Continue reading
Last year, the Illinois Supreme Court in People v. Clark and People v. Melango, struck down the state eavesdropping statute as unconstitutional because it violated the First Amendment. Several months later, the Illinois’ General Assembly amended and passed a revised … Continue reading
On February 3, 2015 the Illinois Appellate Court held that an officer is not authorized to pat down an individual for weapons during the course of a community-caretaking encounter. Accordingly, a defendant cannot be charged with resisting arrest for … Continue reading
Courts may require alleged domestic abusers to submit to GPS electronic surveillance as a condition of bail depending on the court’s evaluation of conditions outlined in 725 ILCS 5/110-5 (also known as Diane’s Law). If a person is charged with … Continue reading
Under Illinois new cyber bullying law, schools may require its students to turn over their social media passwords if the school suspects the student in engaging in cyber bullying. As expected, this requirement has caused quite a stir among the … Continue reading
New laws that went into effect this week include: • SPEED LIMIT: Senate Bill 2015 increases the speed limit on interstate and toll ways to 70 mph, unless some other speed restriction is imposed under the Illinois Vehicle Code. • … Continue reading
