Summary of Thomas Warner’s Case and Appeals The news is full of people who have had the charges dropped against them by the state because of bad evidence, recanting witnesses and, at times, even police misconduct. Most people think once they have the charges dismissed and expunged, they are entitled to a Certificate of Innocence. This is often not the case. A certificate of innocence has just one function. It serves no purpose other than to permit its bearer the...

Whether you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being the offender in an order of protection case or you have just gotten an Order of Protection (OP) or Stalking No Contact Order (SNC) placed on an offender, you should know how seriously the state takes this legal protection. There is no room for making mistakes with an OP or SNC in Illinois since the state takes any violation seriously. It does not matter if you “just wanted to see...

Imagine you have nurtured a long-distance relationship with a US resident. Over the years, things are going well, so you decide that you will finally make a bigger commitment, you decide to travel to the US to deepen your relationship. At first, things are great, you seem to have chemistry together, and she seems sweet and nice. You resolve to seek out a green card by marriage. After a while, however, you begin to see that she has a dark...

Protecting your children is undoubtedly one of your top priorities. What do you do if your child is threatened by verbal abuse, physical abuse, or other forms of harassment such as stalking? Let’s say that your child has made a new “internet friend” who seems a little too invasive and a little too interested; maybe they eventually start running into your child “by chance.” Or perhaps your spouse gets drunk and batters your child, or verbally berates them and causes...

Stalking is a serious and terrifying matter. Boundaries are an important part of social norms, and our sense of mental health and wellness often depends on respect for these boundaries. In the course of daily life, all of us have likely run into someone who violates our communicated or socially-standardized boundaries. These boundary violations can make us feel disrespected, annoyed, or unsafe. Stalking is an extreme violation of these boundaries, and it is a scary and dangerous experience to be...

Any romantic relationship can be messy, and it is sometimes difficult or impossible to sort out who is the primary offender in an abusive relationship or an acrimonious divorce. It is common for victims in abuse situations to fight back, usually verbally, but sometimes physically, as a means of combating the control and coercion exercised by their abuser. Perhaps as a response to being repeatedly broken down and berated by your partner, you respond with cruel acts of your own,...

Most people think of stalking as a shady person following you in the night or perhaps hiding near your house, physically invading your privacy. But in the digital age of social media, there are more ways an individual can be harassed. The state of Illinois recognizes cyberstalking as a legitimate form of stalking, so if you feel that you are being harassed, you should follow the appropriate processes for a Stalking No Contact Order (SNC) or an Order of Protection(OP)....

Despite our different backgrounds, most of us yearn for intimacy and affection. We are all looking for love, and we try to use our best judgment looking for partners who are safe, comforting, and secure. But what happens when for some reason or another – details we could never have known, the rose-tinted glasses of infatuation – we end up in a close relationship with a dangerous or abusive person? Domestic abuse – whether physical, verbal, or mental – causes...

If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Illinois, you probably already know the importance of hiring a knowledgeable attorney to defend against the charges. However, you may not realize that there’s a lot you can do to help with the case. Trust an Illinois DUI defense lawyer to handle the legal side of things, but here are a few of the tasks you should take on yourself. 1. Write Everything Down: Details matter in a DUI case, so...

Let’s suppose you are a hardworking family man. You have committed countless hours and immeasurable blood, sweat, and tears to your family. Despite constantly being busy with work, you have tried your best to also fulfill the obligations of fatherhood and to be a good husband. As part of being a good family man, you make sure to keep your family protected, and that means that you responsibly and legally carry firearms. Even Good People Get Stuck in Tough Situations...

Sometimes good people, even those making a million a year and have a lot to lose, make terrible mistakes that can cost them dearly in their professional and social lives. In this case, The Bears’ wide receiver, David Moore, was arrested after falling asleep at a Taco Bell drive-thru in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas. Police said that they smelled marijuana on Moore, but were somehow only able to turn up edibles in their search. They also found three pistols...

A Naperville man is facing DUI charges in connection with a fatal car crash. He and his family had been enjoying their summer at a friend’s barbecue earlier that day. He had a few drinks over the course of the hot afternoon, but his wife had even more. When it came time to head home, he volunteered to drive. On the way home, the man lost control of his vehicle and rear ended a car on the highway. This led...

With gun violence a presence in headlines today, many are calling for stricter gun laws in Illinois. So, how difficult is it to get a FOID card in the state? Illinois has several restrictive laws, making it more difficult to acquire a gun here than in other states. Red flag laws are in place here to ensure that those with violence or mental health concerns on their records are not able to purchase firearms. It is still possible for law-abiding...

We now know that the Highland Park Shooter was able to apply for and receive a gun permit in Illinois. Reports have noted numerous red flags in the personal history of the Highland Park shooter, noting that these brushes with law enforcement could have prevented him from acquiring a weapon. So, what happened? How was the shooter able to acquire a weapon and bypass the red flag laws designed to prevent people with violence and mental health issues in their...

In the wake of the Highland Park shooting, Illinois legislators are hoping to close the gap in the red flag laws that allowed the suspect to get a firearms permit despite previous signs of emotional instability and run-ins with the police in 2019. When the suspect filed an application for a FOID card three months after the police confiscated knives and a sword from his apartment, the government had no basis on which to deny the application because no criminal...