An Illinois woman suffered a serious knee injury while skiing outside of Chicago, resulting in an ACL tear and requiring serious surgery and recovery time. During that time, she ended up struggling with prescription pain medication addiction. She eventually stole a blank prescription form to write false prescriptions for Vicodin. She is now a convicted felon in the state of Illinois. Even though she has been pill-free for 10 years, her felony conviction continues to haunt her. The woman in...

An Illinois man made a mistake during college and was convicted of a drug-related felony. He turned his life around, and became a successful auto mechanic. He is now a loving husband and father, but 15 years later his felony conviction still hangs over him and negatively impacts his life. He would like to go back to school and become an educator, but his felony conviction prevents him from doing so. Illinois offers the potential for those convicted of felonies...

A couple in their 30s has been working from home since the Illinois stay-at-home order began in March. They both have extremely high-demand jobs that require their complete attention. At the beginning of the shut-down, the wife asked her retired parents to come live with them and take care of their children while they are logged on in their offices. The husband has never gotten along with his father-in-law, especially since the father-in-law started to drink more after the shut-down....

A Schaumburg couple has been working from home since Governor Pritzker issued his initial stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 outbreak. They have been married for 20 years and the husband is a veteran of the war in Iraq who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has shown violent tendencies before but has begun to drink more frequently since the shut-down began in March. His wife is concerned as he has been shouting at their two children more frequently...

At the beginning of February, an Illinois man finally realized his dream of opening a family restaurant. As a first-generation immigrant, he was excited to open a Greek restaurant and allow his customers to enjoy his family recipes as well as Greek culture. He was distraught to learn that he needed to shut down his restaurant. The funding from the stimulus package will soon run out and he will face the choice of closing his restaurant for good or disobeying...

An Illinois family is struggling with their 12-year-old child who has cerebral palsy and requires around-the-clock care. Since Illinois announced its stay-at-home order, her parents have not been able to receive any help from visiting nurses as they normally do. Other families have lost their jobs and are wondering how they will pay their rent. As Illinois residents grow more restless regarding the stay-at-home order, which has been extended until at least the end of May, some are wondering whether...

An Illinois man walked into a gas station after posting on Facebook that he had coronavirus symptoms. In his social media post, he stated that he was under orders to self-isolate because of his coronavirus symptoms. He stopped at a gas station so that he could take his 4-year-old son to use the bathroom. The gas station employee recognized him as a friend with whom he went to high school. The employee told his supervisor who alerted Illinois law enforcement....

A single father has been working from home. While he is grateful to still have a job, he is having a hard time meeting work deadlines while trying to keep up with his children’s online school assignments. He decides to take the kids out for some fresh air. While he is throwing the football to his son, law enforcement officers show up and arrest him in front of his child for violating the coronavirus stay-at-home order. Arrests of upstanding, law-abiding...

After years spent engaging in online dating, a man and woman finally meet up in person and fall in love. They both have been divorced and share children with their respective ex-spouses. After several months of dating, things are going well between the couple. However, the man begins to lose interest in his newly found romantic partner. He realizes that she has some spending habits that are problematic and that she has extensive credit card debt. He decides to call...

In an attempt to investigate expressway shootings in Chicago, Illinois’ governor recently signed a new law, the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act. The new law is named after a woman who died after being shot on a Chicago expressway. The law gives law enforcement officers the authority to install cameras to investigate shootings that take place on expressways. The new law was incredibly popular and had unanimous support in both chambers within the state legislature. Violence on Chicago Expressways Has...

A couple who has been married for 25 years are experiencing being quarantined for the first time. Both spouses have white-collar jobs in Chicago. The wife has been able to telecommute from home due to the coronavirus quarantine. The husband worked in the travel industry which has been hit hard by the coronavirus. His employer put him on an unpaid furlough leave. Their two college-age children have had to move back home after their schools closed down early. After a...

A Chicago couple finally saved up a downpayment and moved into their first home. 10 years later, after marriage and hardship, the coronavirus pandemic strikes. Illinois is one of the hardest-hit states in the country. As of early April, Illinois saw the biggest one-day jump of new coronavirus cases and deaths since the virus began. The wife has chronic health conditions and the husband just learned that he has been laid off from work. The fear of facing coronavirus with...

Coronavirus cases continue to grow exponentially in Illinois, causing many people to become even more fearful. At the beginning of April, there were over 4,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois. Imagine a couple that has had marital difficulties is now stuck in isolation together with their children. This married couple has been watching the news around-the-clock. One of their children was born extremely prematurely and has chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy. They learn that states have been directing...

The coronavirus pandemic continues to plague the United States. Many states, including Illinois, have issued orders for people to stay at home except for essential trips out. Divorced parents who are co-parenting face extensive challenges. One co-parent is concerned because the other co-parent took their child out of the United States, believing that the United States is not safe. Other issues include one or both parents being laid off due to the coronavirus. As the number of confirmed cases and...

Imagine two young parents living in Chicago and trying to get through the Coronavirus pandemic. The husband works at a local restaurant as a waiter and the wife works as a dental hygienist. After Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the mandatory order for everyone to stay at home, the wife received notice that she would be put on furlough without pay. With all restaurants now only able to offer carryout or delivery, the husband’s manager tells him that he has been...