A federal jury ordered the City of Chicago to pay over $17 million to a man who spent over two decades serving time for a crime he did not commit. Much earlier, prosecutors charged Jacques Rivera with the 1988 shooting death of 16-year-old Felix Valentin. A jury convicted Mr. Rivera, largely on the testimony of lone eyewitness Oscar Lopez, who was only 12 at the time. More recently, Lopez has told several people several times that Rivera was not the...

The setting may sound like fiction, but it is very much a true story that is taking place right here in Cook County. The victim’s husband says it was a tragic car accident; the prosecutor insists it was murder. In 1973, a 19-year-old woman died after sustaining a cervical spine fracture. The coroner’s report listed the cause of death as “accidental.” Now, prosecutors say they have uncovered evidence that the woman’s now 76-year-old husband killed his wife and staged the...

A local 27-year-old man must wait for his trial date in jail, after a Cook County judge denied pretrial release. He was running from Chicago police trying to make a traffic stop on North Le Mai Avenue when the man went through two stoplights and smashed into a taxicab. That cab, which was at the intersection of Grand and Dearborn, carried a 66-year-old woman in the rear seat. She was killed almost instantly, according to authorities. Three other people —...

In a previous post, Sargent Sam had just made a really bad decision. Although he was not drunk, those Mexican beers were definitely enough to give him a buzz. When it comes to the “blow or not to blow” choice, some might point to one of those impairment charts which purport to connect the number of drinks with a BAC score. These charts only apply to Joe and Jane Average, so they are pretty much useless. Many people, including some...

If you have a concealed weapon license, it is 100% legal to have a gun in your home. In fact, it is a little easier to obtain such a license in the Prairie State than it is in some jurisdictions. In Illinois, the decision-maker can only reject your application for certain objective reasons. In other places, the decision-maker can block your application with just a vague “I have a bad feeling about this” objection. Carrying a concealed weapon in public...

Sargent Sam looks forward to his brother-in-law’s annual Fourth of July party more than he looks forward to Christmas. That party means fireworks, food, family, and friends. The party also means one or two Mexican beers with lime wedges. Like many of us, Sam knows that it is best to Uber back and forth so he does not need to worry about drinking and driving. But, like many of us, planning ahead is not always Sam’s forte. Despite the fact...

Some of the most successful professional salespeople in Chicagoland sell real estate. Property values have largely bounced back since the Great Recession. The negative equity percentage is still high, but it is much lower than it was around 2010. So, for the most part, real estate commissions are as healthy as they have been in recent years. This means that an Illinois real estate license is quite valuable. Especially since real estate license-holders work so hard to obtain those licenses,...

A license to carry a concealed weapon is not synonymous with a license to use it. These are two different things. As for the latter, Illinois’ self-defense laws are still in full effect. These laws are some of the most limited such ordinances in the country. Nevertheless, self-defense is an effective defense to battery, assault, and even murder in many cases. In a nutshell, the use of force, even deadly force, is justified if the actor reasonably believes that the...

What You Need to Know About Dental Complaints

posted on 6/17/18

The idea that many people put off going to the dentist is largely a myth. Every year, a little over half of the people in Chicagoland see a dentist. The...

Most legislation is a bundle of compromises, and that is certainly true of Illinois’ carrying a concealed weapon law. Many law enforcement agencies bitterly opposed the measure. These groups rather understandably resist anything that puts more weapons on the streets. However, citizens do have a limited Constitutional right to bear arms. Most all other states had already codified this right into a weapons carry law. So, here is the compromise: It is rather easy to obtain a CCW permit in...

The Prairie State is one of the few jurisdictions that requires roofers to be licensed. Some roofers in Chicago see that requirement as a good thing. It gives the profession more prestige, they argue. Furthermore, they say, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation oversight basically serves as an alternative to the rather harsh criminal and civil liability that wayward roofers can face. Others do not agree. They insist that the additional regulatory burden is unnecessary and unwanted. Like them...

Each year, licensed chiropractors treat an estimated 35 million Americans. Judging from the patient satisfaction numbers, which are usually above 95%, these professionals do a good job. Yet even today, some people consider spinal manipulation to be a sort of pseudo-science. So, it is little surprise that the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation is so aggressive when it comes to chiropractic licenses. Many of the cases the IDFPR pursues involve self-inflicted wounds which the practitioner may not even...

Some Common CCW Law Violations in Illinois

posted on 6/2/18

To get the votes they needed, supporters of the concealed handgun law had to make a number of compromises. One such deal is evident in the nature of the law...

The Prairie State was one of the nation’s last jurisdictions to pass a law allowing people to carry concealed weapons. It took some closed-door meetings to get the deal done. So, it is rather surprising that 430 ILCS 66 is so broad. Illinois is basically a “modified shall issue” state. According to the law, the Department “shall issue” a license to applicants who meet the qualifications and do not draw a legitimate law enforcement objection. Some other jurisdictions, most notably...

A physician who recklessly prescribes painkillers is “a drug dealer with a lab coat,”according to Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Daniel Gillen. In January 2018, Illinois lawmakers handed Mr. Gillen and his team a powerful new weapon in its fight. How does that development affect you? The DEA is targeting physicians who prescribe large amounts of pills and do not ask questions. Agents are especially watching out for doctors who prescribe what Mr. Gillen called the “holy trinity of drugs.”...