Illinois residents might have heard of the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act that is being considered by Congress. The Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Justice and the National Association of Attorneys General have all championed the SOFA Act,...
Racial disparity continues to affect the criminal justice system in Illinois and across the country, despite ongoing work for criminal justice reform. The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan group bringing together government officials, police representatives...
Illinois residents may be interested to learn how analyzing bloodstains after a shooting can help law enforcement identify a perpetrator. Blood splatter evidence is based on the physical way that blood behaves. It has been used in law enforcement since the late 19th...
People arrested on counts of violent crime in Illinois can face charges of aggravated battery and/or assault. Aggravated charges indicate the presence of circumstances that make the crime more serious than it would be otherwise. What this means for you if...
Illinois state law regards battery against another person as aggravated, i.e., more serious and subject to harsher penalties, if the alleged victim has a disability. A 15-year-old girl with special needs reportedly became the victim of a beating in...
Authorities will sometimes bring special, separate charges against someone thought to have caused harm to a child, especially if they believe it to have been deliberate. The law does not extend any sort of protection or immunity to the child's parents, which means...
If you have been charged with assault and battery in Illinois, you may think that officers allege you committed one crime. Actually, as FindLaw explains, assault and battery, while similar, constitute two separate crimes. Naturally the prosecutor must prove that...
A charge or accusation of domestic violence in Illinois may be confusing to you if you have never reacted physically against a member of your household. Your confusion is understandable, as the general term includes a wider range of behaviors than a strict...
Many people don’t stop to think about the potential legal ramifications of taking a shortcut through someone’s property or going urban exploring at an abandoned site. However, you and other Illinois residents may want to consider the fact that you could...
"Embezzlement" is a term you may have read in Illinois newspapers or heard on TV. You may already know that it is a white-collar crime and involves stealing from your employer. However, according to FindLaw, what distinguishes embezzlement from simple...
