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Illinois felonies result in conviction despite fact that offender has no criminal background

April 21, 2022
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NOTE: This article was updated to reflect 2019 changes to Illinois law with passage of Public Act 101-593. This change became effective on December 4, 2019, updating various statutes addressing marijuana and related offenses. A person with no experience in the criminal justice system will see that the courts make a distinction between felony and […]

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Misdemeanor convictions that cannot be sealed: crimes of violence

April 14, 2022
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NOTE: This page has new content to clarify the recent impact of Public Act 101-223 (effective January 1, 2020) and Public Act 101-651 (effective August 7, 2020). These Acts adjusted the Illinois approach to standard and aggravated domestic battery offenses, including the possibility of a felony charge. A person convicted of a misdemeanor can have […]

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Choking or strangling a person during domestic battery is now a felony in Illinois

July 8, 2021
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NOTE: This article reflects additional content to clarify the significance of Public Act 101-0130, which became Illinois law on January 1, 2020. After its effective date, this Act eliminated the statute of limitations for prosecuting various sex crimes that can impact the sentencing for domestic battery, including criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and […]

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Illinois Supreme Court Rules Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon Statute Violates 2nd Amendment

February 14, 2020
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NOTE: This article was updated to reflect 2020 changes in Illinois law with passage of Public Act 101-223. These changes became effective on January 1st, modifying the Illinois laws against and penalties for unlawful use of weapons at places of worship. In one decision, the Illinois Supreme Court has undone thousands of convictions for carrying […]

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Job applicants with criminal records may find employment under new EEOC policy

October 29, 2012
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As anyone with a criminal record can tell you, one conviction can have a devastating impact on your future. When you apply for a job with a criminal record, you usually don’t expect to make it past the background check. But that all may change soon under an important policy change with the Equal Employment […]

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Cook County to host annual expungement summit June 2, 2012

May 1, 2012
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All persons who have ever been arrested in Cook County should be aware of the free expungement seminar scheduled for June 2, 2012. Under Illinois law, any person who is arrested and charged with a crime has a record with the Illinois State Police that can be disseminated nationwide. The record of the arrest remains […]

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Important new bill in legislature would expunge felonies

March 26, 2012
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In the current legislative session, Illinois lawmakers are considering a very important new statute to be added to the criminal code. Senate Bill 3349, proposed by Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), would create a special type of probation for felonies that can be expunged. If signed by the governor, a defendant with a pending felony would […]

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Examining State Police expungement statistics

October 4, 2011
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The Illinois State Police are mandated by law to keep track of how many petitions to expunge or seal they receive each year, and what the outcome is. This is a new legal obligation. It became mandatory through the Expungement Backlog Accountability Law. 20 ILCS 2630/14. In the past, the State Police were notorious for […]

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