aggravated battery with a firearm

Truth-in-sentencing: defendants must serve more than 50% of the sentence imposed

July 1, 2021
Thumbnail image for Truth-in-sentencing: defendants must serve more than 50% of the sentence imposed

NOTE: The article below includes updated material to explore how Public Act 101-440 impacted truth-in-sentencing laws in Illinois. After an effective date of January 1, 2020, this Act opened a new avenue to sentence credit for eligible inmates. Defendants in felony cases are subject to special rules for their criminal sentence. Compared to misdemeanor sentencing, […]

Read the full article

What is a Class X felony in Illinois?

May 3, 2021
Thumbnail image for What is a Class X felony in Illinois?

NOTE: This article includes refreshed content to account for updates to Illinois law since passage of Public Act 101-223. After an effective date of January 1, 2020, this Act adjusted and reclassified the Illinois legal approach to aggravated battery offenses (720 ILCS 5/12-3.05). The Class X felony is, short of first-degree murder, the most serious […]

Read the full article

What is the legal definition of great bodily harm?

April 25, 2010
Thumbnail image for What is the legal definition of great bodily harm?

If a person causes great bodily harm to another while committing a criminal offense, the charge is usually a felony. What is the definition of great bodily harm? The Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 does not specify which injuries constitute great bodily harm. The question is for the jury to decide. When defendants have been […]

Read the full article