Nearly two decades ago, Congress passed a rather significant amendment to the Gun Control Act known as the Lautenberg Amendment, which expressly forbids anyone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from either purchasing or owning a firearm.The amendment, which...
As in the rest of the country, in Chicago criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This is meant to be a high standard of proof that is supposed to avoid convictions based on ambiguous or dubious evidence.Earlier this...
In addition to the changes to the juvenile justice system that we discussed earlier this month, a handful of changes to Illinois' criminal code took effect on Jan. 1. It may take some time to see the effects of some of the changes, as they address more...
When a person is accused of committing a robbery here in Illinois, one thing that can matter considerably in their case is whether or not they are accused of having had a gun or other dangerous weapon on them during the alleged robbery. This is because being accused...
We are continuing our discussion about a Will County man, Mark L. Lewis, who is charged with killing his sister. According to authorities, in 2011, Lewis beat his sister to death after an argument over money she said was missing from their mother's bank account. In...
Being accused of a violent offense, especially if it is a major felony, can mean that your entire future is in the hands of the court system. With all that is at stake -- from your reputation to your freedom -- it is crucial that you take the situation seriously and...
Vehicular hijacking is something many people only see in movies or in video games. Because of this, many people fail to appreciate just how serious this criminal act is and how harsh the consequences of a conviction can be. It is a crime that is often portrayed as a...
There are many Chicago residents who have never served on a jury; even fewer people may have found themselves facing a jury and charged with a violent crime. That is why it can be so frightening for a person to be in the latter situation. People simply don't know what...
People who are arrested after a fight or altercation can be very upset. These situations often arise when emotions are running high and people are already quite angry or scared, and being put in handcuffs in the back of a police car can only increase the level of...
It is a fact of the human condition that we make mistakes. As much as we would like to think our social structures, institutions and systems are without flaw, the reality is that they reflect merely reflect our ideals. They are only as good as the human beings who run...
