The standard of justice that the United States is supposed to follow is one rooted in the notion that one is presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. That doesn't always play out in actual court proceedings, however, as the case of one young Chicago...
Chicago Criminal Law Blog
Can I be tried in Illinois for recording a conversation secretly?
This is a really good question. The answer at the moment is, no. But if you had asked just a few months ago, the answer would have been, it depends. The reason the answer is a lot clearer today is because of a number of court decisions declaring the law...
Federal agent surge planned for Chicago to counter violent crime
"Mind-boggling." "Almost unheard of." That's how one unidentified top police official is reportedly describing a planned influx of FBI agents on the streets of Chicago.According to officials, the strategy calls for boosting the number of FBI personnel on the streets...
Marijuana cultivation offenses at the federal level
There are many different drug offenses that have federal charges associated with them. One is drug cultivation.Perhaps the most well-known of the drug cultivation crimes that federal authorities sometimes accuse individuals of is marijuana cultivation. While such...
The debate rages: is drug use while pregnant child abuse?
If we look at portrayals of pregnant women on television, it is almost always women who are taking expensive prenatal vitamins, going to numerous doctors' visits, and attending birthing and parenting classes. This is not a reality for every Illinois woman, however....
5 charged with extreme racketeering felonies
Last week we talked about the effect criminal charges can have on an individual's employment. Unfortunately, when someone spends time in prison for a crime, even if it is a minor crime and one that did not include violence, he or she may have a very difficult time...
The bill that could make employment after conviction easier
Anyone in Cook County who follows the national debate on drug crimes will be familiar with the push to reform sentencing laws for nonviolent drug offenders. There are many people from Chicagoland who will spend the next several decades in prison, or possibly the rest...
Defendants’ rights win at the Supreme Court
Although the rule itself seems fairly simple on its face, the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure is hardly without its loopholes. The actual language of the amendment says that law enforcement needs a warrant to search through an...
Federal marijuana case leads to innovative defense
Crimes involving marijuana are typically handled at the state level, but there are certain drug crimes which are prosecuted at the federal level. Typically, if someone in Chicago is arrested with more than a certain amount of marijuana, he or she is charged with drug...


