An accusation of child molestation can be tormenting especially if it is made by someone in your own family and you are innocent. The insinuations cast doubts on you and can destroy a family. Sex crime charges are not only damaging to your reputation but have lasting consequences. You should act fast and seek out a criminal defense attorney who can start building a strong defense right away.

Allegations of Child Abuse 

Child molestation is a form of abuse. Society as a whole is inclined to believe the accuser. If you go to court, a jury does not always look at the accused favorably. Child molestation involves sexual or indecent activities between an adult and a child under 13 years old. The following sexual behaviors are considered child molestation under Illinois law:

• Inappropriate touching and contact that does not lead to penetration

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Mischievous teens tend to come out during festivities leading up to Halloween. Make sure that you do not take those Halloween tricks so far that your actions haunt you for years to come.

Anything from blasting music to threatening violence could lead to serious charges of disorderly conduct. Worse yet, feeding into the frenzy over rainbow fentanyl could leave you facing drug charges.  No trick is worth winding up with a misdemeanor or felony on your record.

Rainbow Fentanyl

This Halloween the distribution of rainbow fentanyl poses a big danger to kids. Do not be one of those persons who try to pass off the brightly colored pills laced with fentanyl as candy. One pill or just a small amount of powder can poison or kill someone. It is currently the deadliest drug in the nation that is killing more than 150 people each day.

A drug charge may interfere with gainful employment and landlords can frown upon a conviction when they run a background check. A conviction for drug crimes in Illinois can also have serious criminal consequences, including jail time. But what if you were riding in a car with your buddies and the drugs were in the trunk? If you are facing charges for drug possession, drug manufacturing or distribution, or another drug crime, make sure to contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. 

Elements and Defense

If you are arrested for drug possession do not resist arrest and stay calm. Also, remember that anything you say can be used against you. So be polite and decline to answer questions until your lawyer is present.

The penalties depend on the type of substance and the amount. Under Illinois law, a person must know or have a reason to know if they are in possession of a controlled substance.  Charges depend on your type of knowledge. So for you to be charged the prosecution must prove the following three things beyond a reasonable doubt:

In a blog we posted earlier this month, we began to discuss what happens when a person is arrested for a felony or misdemeanor crime they did not commit. This unenviable situation can cause extreme hardship. You may be filled with anxiety about how your case will end. Sadly, there is always some risk of conviction, even if you are entirely innocent. This is why you need a highly skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney to fight back against the false charges. Outcomes like dismissal or acquittal at trial are possible when the case is well-handled. Remember that it is not your burden to prove your innocence, but the state’s burden to prove your guilt. Proving guilt can prove difficult when the wrong person has been arrested, or no crime was committed at all. However, they may try, and their efforts may be convincing. It is important to follow the advice of your attorney closely. 

What to do While Your Case is Pending

Although every defendant is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, you may feel as if you have already been found guilty. If you were placed under pretrial supervision, you will very much be treated like a criminal. You do not deserve any of this, but it is the reality of the criminal justice system. 

If your bail is impossibly high, your attorney may be able to file a motion and have it lowered. When you make bail, it is critical that you comply with all conditions of your bail, which may include things like not leaving the state and staying clean and sober. Violating a condition of bail or pretrial supervision could lead to additional criminal charges. 

 Intoxicated driving charges are serious. There is a stigma attached to DUI convictions. You may face socioeconomic consequences in addition to any judicial penalties ordered. Even as a misdemeanor, a DUI can result in a term of incarceration, a loss of driving privileges, and steep fines. As a felony, the consequences may be even more dire. Particularly if someone was injured, courts take intoxicated driving seriously and are unlikely to show leniency. However, a conviction is not assured at the outset of the case. In our justice system, you have the opportunity to present a defense that may result in a dismissal or acquittal at trial. This is why you need a skilled attorney to carefully assess every aspect of your case in order to build the strongest defense possible. If you have been arrested for DUI, it is critical that you contact an attorney as soon as you are able to. 

Reasons Your DUI Case May Not Result in a Conviction

There are a number of legal tools an attorney may use to invalidate some critical piece of evidence or to raise reasonable doubt at trial. Potential paths to dismissal or acquittal may include: 

• Invalid chemical testing result - Police officers must follow a highly specific procedure in order to obtain a valid biological sample to test for the presence of alcohol or drugs. Any missed steps, left-out precautions, or an uncalibrated instrument can result in an invalid test. 

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