Historic bill HB3653 makes many changes to Illinois law in an effort to remove what some consider to be unfair aspects of the Illinois Statutes. Proponents of the legislation believe...
Keep Reading »
Illinois has been making national news after the historic SAFE-T Act was passed, which sought to do away with cash bail except for in certain exceptional cases. Many aspects of...
Keep Reading »
All across the state of Illinois, reactions have varied from relief to dread after Governor Pritzker signed an assault weapons ban into law on Tuesday. The bill takes effect immediately...
Keep Reading »
Our founder and partner, Thomas Glasgow, has been named a Super Lawyer for Criminal Defense in the state of Illinois for the eighth year running. This occasion marks the 16th...
Keep Reading »
We have been covering changes to Illinois law through the SAFE-T over the past couple of months. Changes have been wide-ranging for the state of the law regarding criminal justice...
Keep Reading »
In the state of Illinois, Class X Felony charges are the most serious felony offenses short of first-degree murder. Class X felony charges carry mandatory sentencing guidelines, and judges are...
Keep Reading »
The landmark SAFE-T Act changes many different Illinois laws, not least of which are laws about the use of force by law enforcement agencies. Major cases of police misconduct, often...
Keep Reading »The passage of HB3653, also known as the Safe-T Act, advances various areas of progressive legislation, including sentencing equity, criminal justice, and police reform. The Safe-T Act purports that police will now be held to a higher and more rigorous standard of accountability. As a result, in the state of Illinois, law enforcement officer misconduct will be heavily tempered by the new rule of law. HB3653 adds language to the Illinois statutes specifying conditions for the use of deadly force,...
Keep Reading »
Imagine being separated from your child. Taken from you in the birth room moments after birth against your will. Months and even years go by before you see your child...
Keep Reading »In recent posts, we have been reviewing key changes to Illinois law which have been penned in HB3653, or the Safe-T Act. Because of the sweeping and widespread changes, we will continue to provide informative blog posts about this landmark bill. The Safe-T act makes changes and amendments to wide areas of law, but this article will focus on changes to the requirements around the use of body cameras for law enforcement officers. The Safe-T Act makes changes to who...
Keep Reading »The passage of the Safe-T act, or HB3653, represents historic legislation in Illinois law. In addition to making Illinois the second state to completely abolish monetary bail except in specific circumstances, the bill makes sweeping changes to police accountability, felony murder law, law enforcement misconduct law, sentencing, and the department of corrections. A full treatment of the changes in the 764-page document would be too long for a single post, but in the coming weeks, we will review each facet...
Keep Reading »A stalking no contact order is a legal document issued by a court to protect a person from abuse. The stalking no contact order is issued by the court and is designed to protect the person from further harm. The order may restrict the respondent’s behavior, such as prohibiting them from contacting or approaching the victim. These orders can vary depending on the case and will be penned according to the discretion of the judge. Ancillary effects of a stalking...
Keep Reading »During the last day of the 2021 lame-duck legislative session in Illinois, the Illinois Senate passed House Bill 3653, with a subcomponent known as the Pretrial Fairness Act. The House version passed the same day, and on February 22, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed the comprehensive bill into law. Illinois courts will begin operating under the rules of the Pretrial Fairness Act on January 1, 2023. The intent of the Pretrial Fairness Act is to promote equity in the legal system...
Keep Reading »Orders of protection have direct effects on the freedom of a respondent by placing direct limitations on their conduct. The “terms” of the order of protection are up to the discretion of the judge and may be wide-ranging and possibly unorthodox. Respondents may be required to stay further than a certain distance from a certain person or a certain place. They may be required to refrain from making attempts to contact the petitioner. Respondents may be required to join a...
Keep Reading »It is not at all uncommon for petitioners for Orders of Protection to also be processing or to have a need to process divorce. The divorce process can complicate the restraining order process but it can also act as supporting evidence that you are suffering abuse from your spouse. However, married relationships are not required to petition for an order of protection and there are no court rules requiring that divorce be processed in cases of orders being granted. If...
Keep Reading »