Under the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, law enforcement is not allowed to conduct unreasonable searches and seizures with respect to suspected criminals. If law enforcement DOES conduct an illegal search, then the evidence obtained is inadmissible – it cannot be used by the prosecution. To make the search legal, the police must… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Laws
Back to ArticlesCollateral Consequences of Criminal Charges: Ezekiel Elliott
Effective January 1, 2017, Illinois requires judges to provide expanded admonishments with respect to guilty pleas. Admonishments are warnings of certain consequences read by the judge to a defendant prior to the judge accepting a plea bargain. The new admonishments includes a warning that in addition to any penalties imposed by the court, there may… Read more »
Is Revenge Porn Illegal in Illinois?
Is Revenge Porn Illegal in Illinois? Yes, revenge porn is illegal in Illinois. It is always nice when a lawyer can provide a straight answer. Most legal questions have complex answers that cannot be summed up in a single word. However, so-called “revenge porn” is illegal in Illinois. In fact, 38 states have now created… Read more »
New Illinois Cannabis Law Effective July 29, 2016
Effective July 29, 2016, New Illinois Cannabis Possession Law Effective July 29, 2016, Illinois has amended its Cannabis Law, reducing the simple possession of small amounts of cannabis one classification. 720 ILCS 550/4 now classifies possession of cannabis up to 10 grams as a civil law violation punishable by a minimum fine of $100.00… Read more »
Senate Bill 2228 Signed into Law by Governor Rauner Amends Illinois DUI Law as of July 29, 2016
Effective July 29, 2016, New Illinois DUI Law Effective July 29, 2016, Illinois has amended its DUI law to allow for the presence of small amounts of marijuana in a person’s system. Under subsection (a)(6) of 625 ILCS 5/11-501 of the previous law, a person could not be in actual physical control of a vehicle in… Read more »
You and Your Cellphone After Riley v. California
You and Your Cellphone After Riley v. California There have been several important decisions handed down recently by the United States Supreme Court. One such case that has important implications in our current age of smartphones is Riley v. California. In this 9-0 opinion (that is, it was a unanimous decision) released on June 25,… Read more »
Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act
Beginning in January 2014, Illinois joined a number of other states in legalizing the use and possession of small amounts of medical marijuana (or medical cannabis). But the statutes authorizing this limited use and possession (410 ILCS 130/1 and following) do not give free license to carry as much medical marijuana as one chooses or… Read more »