great bodily harm

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

July 1, 2021
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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, […]

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An Explanation of Illinois Sex Crimes

May 12, 2021
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NOTE: The following information was updated to account for various amendments to sex crimes under the Illinois Criminal Code in 2019. More specifically, Public Act 101-0130 eliminated the statute of limitations for prosecuting major sex crimes in Illinois, including the regular and aggravated versions of criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse. The accusation of […]

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A summary of the law and penalties for involuntary manslaughter

April 10, 2020
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NOTE: This article was updated to reflect 2020 changes to Illinois law with passage of Public Act 101-173. This Act became effective on January 1st and instituted various amendments to the Illinois Vehicle Code, including an update to the penalties for involuntary manslaughter offenses involving violations of Scott’s Law. Involuntary manslaughter under Illinois law refers […]

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What is the legal definition of great bodily harm?

April 25, 2010
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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 […]

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What is the definition of reckless driving in Illinois?

February 20, 2010
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The Illinois statute that defines reckless driving is 625 ILCS 5/11-503. It provides that reckless driving is driving any vehicle with a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Reckless driving is a Class A misdemeanor offense. The penalty can be up to one year in jail and a fine of […]

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