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Recent Blog Posts
Distracted Driving Awareness and DUI Checkpoints Over Memorial Day Weekend
This Memorial Day weekend will be a triple threat for Illinois residents. There will be more DUI checkpoints and seatbelt checkpoints, which could ultimately result in a sobriety test. It is also distracted driving awareness week, and officers are already cracking down on drivers using their cellphones while behind the wheel. Learn more about how to protect yourself this weekend, and what you can do if you or someone you love falls victim to one of these extra measures.
Play It Extra Safe
Most drivers know their limits. They wait until they can drive safely, or they call a cab or assign a designated driver to avoid driving while intoxicated. Unfortunately, with more DUI checkpoints, drivers may be more likely to receive a sobriety test. News reporters have found this test to be difficult, even for sober people. If you fail, you may be asked to take a breathalyzer. If the machine is improperly calibrated or used incorrectly and you have had just one drink, you could find yourself behind bars for the night.
Speeding Tickets: Lidar versus Radar
As technology advances so do law enforcement techniques. In fact, many city, county, and federal officers have become tech savvy enough to navigate through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Another major advancement is how they use equipment to track speeding drivers. More specifically, there are two basic technologies: Lidar and Radar. What are these techniques, and what might they mean for your case? The following explains.
Radar Technology
First used in law enforcement in 1954, radar is an older technology. It uses a short, high-intensity of high-frequency radio waves to track speed. It is rather accurate, but there are some serious limitations to this technology. First, the device shoots the waves in a cone-shaped structure, which can target the largest vehicle, the fastest vehicle, or the closest vehicle. In short, it can be difficult to discern which vehicle the device targeted, especially when using it in congested traffic areas.
Fulfilling Your Court-Ordered Community Service Requirements
Community service can serve as a viable alternative to more serious criminal consequences. However, one must be willing to meet all the requirements of their community service conditions. Failure to do so can invalidate the agreement and may ultimately result in a default on your charges. Learn more about fulfilling your community service requirements, and what you can do if you experience any troubles along the way.
Where to Complete Your Community Service
Valid community service hours can only be completed at non-profit organizations. Further, the organization must be willing to accept you as a volunteer; this can often be the most challenging and frustrating aspect of completing your community service requirements. Not every location will have an opening, some have set limits on the number of hours that they accept volunteers, and there may be additional restrictions on where you can volunteer. A few places to look might include:
Criminal Case Basics: Even Your Social Media Account Can Be Used Against You
If you have ever had your Miranda rights read to you, then you are familiar with the phrase, “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,” but did you know that this applies to more than just your words? Everything from camera footage obtained at the scene to the items in your pocket, and right on down to your social media account can be mined for information. Yes, that is correct: your social media account can be used as evidence in a criminal charges case. Worse yet, it could mean the difference between a dismissal and a guilty verdict. Learn more about protecting yourself with help from the following.
Direct Evidence of a Crime
One of the absolute worst things you can do on social media is broadcast your crime, yet many have done it. A group of teens that raped a young girl, the man that was arrested after he posted a video of himself drinking and driving, and the recent shooting of an elderly man were all caught on Facebook live. All these situations, and many others can be used as direct evidence of a crime. Of course, the information on your account does not have to be quite as blatant.
Restoring Your Driving Privileges After a DUI Conviction
Being convicted of a DUI is not just stressful and embarrassing; it can seriously impact your life. No longer can you simply jump in your car and drive to work or the store. Instead, you must walk, deal with public transit, or ask a friend or family member for a ride. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to try and restore driving privileges after a DUI conviction.
License Suspension versus Revocation
There are two ways your driving privileges can be removed: suspension and revocation. The process of restoring privileges is different for each. As such, it is important that you understand the difference between a suspension and a revocation. A suspension is a temporary loss of your license, and it typically has an expiration period. On the other hand, a revocation is a complete cancellation of your license. You can have it restored, but the process is highly complex.
How Much Does an Illinois DUI Conviction Cost?
When one is convicted of a DUI in Illinois, they face two main types of consequences: criminal and collateral. Those that are criminal in nature are consequences related to jail time, probation, and licensing suspensions. Collateral consequences are those that one faces because of the conviction. Examples include the increased cost of car insurance and difficulty obtaining a job because of a criminal record. Both types can result in significant financial losses.
Criminal Costs of an Illinois DUI Conviction
Criminal costs of a DUI are, perhaps, the easiest to measure. Most have a fee already attached to them. For example, the installation of a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) will cost $100 to install. In addition, all BAIID users must pay rental and monitoring fees, which cost $960 and $360 per year, respectively. Other common criminal costs that one can expect after a DUI conviction include:
Avoiding Legal Trouble as a Medical Marijuana Patient
Although the use of medical marijuana is legal in the state of Illinois, there are numerous rules and regulations that one must follow to avoid the possibility of criminal penalties. This risk remains, even for those with severe or debilitating conditions. Learn more about how to prevent legal trouble as a medical marijuana user, and what you can do if you should find yourself facing drug possession charges.
Understanding the Rules and Regulations
To qualify as a medical marijuana user in the state of Illinois, one must be a resident of the state. Further, you must have a qualifying medical condition and be at least 18 years of age. Individuals must also complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Further, you cannot be an active member of law enforcement or a firefighter, and you cannot have a commercial driver’s license (this includes licenses required for operating a school bus). Failure to meet any of these requirements could bar you from receiving your medical marijuana card.
Pros and Cons of Taking a DUI Plea Bargain in Illinois
Though not available to every suspected DUI offender, plea bargains may offer a way for some to avoid certain consequences of a DUI conviction. However, it is crucial that defendants in DUI cases understand the implications before deciding to accept such an offer. The following information outlines some of the pros and cons of taking a plea bargain. It also explains where you can find advice when deciding if a plea deal might be the right option for you.
Examining the Possible Advantages of a Plea
When comparing the consequences of an Illinois DUI conviction and a possible plea agreement, there may be some benefits worth considering. Such benefits might include the possibility of:
- Less jail time (if required),
- Reduced fines,
Driving with a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device After a DUI Conviction – What You Should Know
While it is far better to fight a DUI before conviction, not everyone is aware that they can and should do so. Thankfully, some individuals may still be eligible to drive with the installation of a breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID). Learn more about driving with the BAIID (and what it entails) with help from the following information.
About the BAIID Driving Option
Upon conviction of a DUI, the license of a driver is suspended. The individual then has two choices: refrain from driving until the suspension has expired or obtain a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) to become eligible for the BAIID driving option. Continuing to drive and not adhering to either of these options can result in additional criminal charges (a Class 4 felony). This applies, even if the individual is not intoxicated at the time they are caught driving.
Conviction of a Felony DUI Can Lead to a Loss of Your Firearm Rights
Americans sometimes take their rights for granted. What happens, though, when your own decisions result in a loss of your rights? This is, unfortunately, a possibility when one is convicted of a felony DUI. Learn more with help from the following information.
Your Right to Bear Arms
The right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment of the Constitution. However, this right can be revoked. This is what typically happens to individuals who have been convicted of a violent offense (domestic violence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, etc.). Yet it can also happen to those with non-violent felony offenses.
Felony DUI Offenses
Typically, felony DUI offenses apply to those who have two or more previous convictions. However, there are situations in which even a first or second time offender can face felony charges. For example, first-time offenders who experience an accident that results in bodily harm to a minor (under the age of 16), may face felony charges. DUI crashes that result in the death of another may also result in a felony charge.
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