New interview on eavesdropping law

May 6, 2011
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I was recently interviewed for a story by the Illinois Statehouse News. The reporter was doing a story about eavesdropping. Illinois law prohibits any person from recording a conversation with another without the other’s consent. See 720 ILCS 5/14-2. It is not a defense that the conversation occurred in a public place. The other person’s […]

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New Illinois law criminalizes parents who leave children with sex offenders

April 29, 2011
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Illinois lawmakers made a new criminal offense concerning sex offenders in 2011. Effective on January 1, 2011, the new law prohibits parents from leaving their children unattended with a child sex offender. The new law is found in the criminal code at 720 ILCS 5/12-21.6-5. The statute says that it is a Class A misdemeanor […]

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Newly proposed law in Illinois allows for medical marijuana

April 28, 2011
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Illinois lawmakers find themselves at the front of the legalization of marijuana movement this year because newly proposed legislation would allow use of medicinal marijuana. Currently, Illinois House of Representatives is considering a bill sponsored by Democrat Lou Lang from Skokie, HB 30. If passed, the new law would be called the Compassionate Use of […]

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What does it mean to be convicted of a crime in Illinois?

February 28, 2011
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One of the most frequently misused terms in criminal law is conviction.  All too often a person will talk about a case and say that if they’re found guilty they were convicted.  But this is not entirely accurate. Under Illinois law, when a person is found guilty the court enters a judgment against him.  The […]

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Penalties for possession of drug paraphernalia under Illinois law

November 19, 2010
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Illinois law makes it a criminal offense to knowingly possess drug paraphernalia. The law does not distinguish between the type of drug the paraphernalia is used for. The penalties for possessing a pipe to smoke marijuana are the same as a needle to shoot heroin, even though heroin is regarded as a more dangerous drug. […]

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A summary of Illinois drug laws

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The criminal offense of possession of drugs in Illinois has two categories: Possession of cannabis (ie, marijuana). This offense is governed by 720 ILCS 550/4. Possession of a controlled substance. The law for controlled substances is 720 ILCS 570/402. All illegal drugs that are not cannabis are classified as controlled substances. For example, the crime […]

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The police officer had me stand on one leg and count to 30. Did I pass this sobriety test?

August 1, 2010
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One of the field sobriety tests most commonly utilized by law enforcement in DUI investigations is the one-leg stand. This sobriety test was approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as accurate and reliable in detecting drivers who are intoxicated on alcohol or drugs. The one-leg stand, also called one-legged stand or OLS, […]

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New Illinois Supreme Court ruling limits use of field sobriety test

July 24, 2010
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The Supreme Court of the state of Illinois issued a new ruling in 2010 concerning the use of the horizontal gaze nystagmus test (HGN). During an arrest for DUI, the police officer will ask the driver to stand still and follow a pen with his eyes, and keep his head motionless. The HGN test is […]

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New laws in Illinois increase penalties for speeding tickets

July 3, 2010
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The laws against speeding in Illinois got tougher on July 2, 2010 when Governor Pat Quinn signed a new law aimed at persons driving 100 mph or faster. The law has two important parts: Speeding 31 mph over the Limit is a Class B Misdemeanor Speeding 31 mph in excess of the limit is no […]

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What is the walk-and-turn test?

June 6, 2010
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The walk-and-turn test (WAT) is a field sobriety test that was approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for use in detecting intoxicated motorists. The WAT has been standardized and is used by all police and sheriff’s departments in DUI arrests. Field sobriety testing usually takes place roadside during the traffic stop. However, the […]

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