Appearing in court can feel like you are back in high school, everyone looking at you, scrutinizing your every move and word, and judging your appearance and behavior. Unlike in high school, where a misstep might make you a temporary laughingstock, one wrong move in the courtroom can leave you with a potentially devastating outcome. 

When you are in court, the judge, the opposing attorney or prosecutor, and the jury are all judging your appearance and examining your behavior to determine your credibility. Here are a few tips to help you be at your best when you have a criminal court hearing:

We have all probably heard the phrase “assault and battery” at some point in our lives. This phrase is used so often that the terms assault and battery tend to be used interchangeably, even though they are different legal concepts that carry different consequences. In Illinois, there are also offenses such as aggravated assault and aggravated battery, which consist of different actions and typically carry more serious punishments. 

If you face an assault or battery charge, understanding the offense and its penalties is the first step in building a solid defense with the help of a skilled criminal defense lawyer.

Over the years, states and national organizations have focused on preventing people from drinking and driving. Multiple ad campaigns have been launched telling people “friends do not let friends drive drunk,” and “buzzed driving is drunk driving.” Still, alcohol is not the only intoxicating substance that DUI laws cover. 

In the state of Illinois, citizens are not permitted to be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any combination of the two while they are in physical control of a motor vehicle. With the legalization of recreational marijuana in many states and the permittance of medical marijuana in a majority of states, driving under the influence of marijuana has become more prevalent.

Many people think speeding is not that big a deal. While certain speeding offenses are only charged as minor traffic violations, in some cases, speeding can become a significant misdemeanor offense. While other drivers may zoom by you on the expressway, maintaining a reasonable speed keeps you, your passengers, and other drivers safer.

In Illinois, when your speed reaches a certain number of miles per hour over the posted speed limit, it can be considered aggravated speeding, which is a serious crime in Illinois. If you face charges of aggravated speeding, it is important you understand the charges and their potential consequences.

In the state of Illinois, DUI charges are taken very seriously. Prosecutors and law enforcement typically punish offenders to the fullest extent of the law due to the risk drunk drivers pose to the public. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 10,874 deaths resulting from car crashes involving drivers with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher in 2017. This means 29 percent of all fatal traffic accidents were caused by drivers who were under the influence of alcohol. 

Repeat offenders are punished even more harshly, which does not bode well for an Illinois man who is accused of committing his third DUI and his 12th offense of driving with a suspended driver’s license.