Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog

Sex crimes involving women and children have dominated Chicago headlines in 2013. From the track and triathlon trainer accused of sexually molesting a 16-year-old boy over a two-year period to the 81-year-old dentist charged with fondling a young girl in his office, Chicago newspapers abound in shocking examples such as the ones above. According to…

Domestic violence is a healthcare issue of epidemic proportions, as well as a blatant violation of victims’ human rights. During the last 30 years, the impact of domestic abuse has been shattering to victims, their families and the communities they arepart of. The most recent report of the World Health Organization on the prevalence and…

1.1 million shoplifters stole more than $189 million worth of goods in 2012, according to the 25th Annual Retail Theft Survey conducted by loss prevention consultancy firm Jack L. Hayes International. The 23 large retail companies that participated in the survey reported more than 70,000 dishonest employees – 5.5 percent more than in 2011 –…

There may be little or no difference between the amount of pot white and black people smoke, but there’s surely a huge gap between black/white drug arrests. According to a detailed report by the American Civil Liberties Union, black Americans are four times more likely to get arrested for drug use and possession. The data,…

Although Colorado and Washington have decriminalized the use of marijuana and more than 20 states have allowed prescribing and limited possession of medical marijuana, the recreational drug still remains a sure ticket to prison in the rest of the country. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting statistics for 2012, there were 1,552,432 drug arrests…

For most Americans, Christmas presents are found in Santa Claus’s generous bag or, at least, in the wallets of their friends and family. Some people, however, decide to take matters into their own hands and simply steal the goods they want to find under the tree on Christmas Eve. One in every eleven people who…

Even the most self-proclaimed “progressive” person has some deep-seated biases. For example, when someone says the words “dating violence,” most people automatically assume that a male committed some act of violence on a female. In late July, however, several new studies presented evidence to overthrow these nearly universal assumptions. At the American Psychological Association’s annual…

Preserving the personal safety of innocent people is a fundamental human right. The law does not require victims of a violent attack to stand still and do nothing. However, the dynamics of a defensive situation often involves all participating parties being arrested or at least detained initially. Situations involving the use of physical force against…

Criminal law is a complicated thing. While necessary for maintaining a safe society and designed to protect the rights of the citizens, the criminal justice system can seem intimidating and cruel, with draconian penalties and severe social consequences. Here we take a look at the criminal law in America and how to stay protected when…

In July 2012, the state of Illinois passed a law allowing taxi drivers to charge a $50 clean-up fee to passengers who vomit in their cabs. The law was part of a larger push for higher rates from taxi drivers, including a 22% rate increase, a $1.50 credit card service charge, and a $50 fraudulent…