Sometimes after a crime takes place, the perpetrator finds themselves in more serious trouble than they initially expected. Some charges contain what we call aggravating factors – and these factors can significantly worsen the penalties for a crime.

Recently, a man on a Chicago train in the Cermak Road area was stabbed in the face. Police don’t know what motivated the attack yet, but any discovered motivations could be considered aggravating factors in the crime. These could increase the sentencing

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every single aspect of our lives, including how we get along with people in our own household.

According to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, tensions between people quarantined together at home have resulted in more calls to the hotline in 2020. In fact, they report a 16 percent increase in the overall calls compared to the same time in the previous year.

Yet even as calls for help from domestic violence situations skyrocketed, the number