Last Thursday, I appeared in DuPage County for my client who was charged with Retail Theft. He was accused of taking protein powder without paying for the item. What really happened is that my client paid $50.00, (the price with tax was $49.95) and left without a receipt. The store clerk pocketed the money. The…
In Illinois, if you are stopped by the police and they request your name, address, or date of birth, you are required to give that information to the officer. This is true whether you are being arrested, briefly detained (for example, a traffic stop) or questioned as a witness. If you give the officer a false…
I just completed a trial in DeKalb County (Sycamore, Illinois), where my client was stopped by an Illinois State Police Trooper at 1:47a.m. for driving 87mph in a 65mph zone and driving with one headlight. The Illinois State Police trooper testified that my client had a very strong smell of alcohol, very red and blood…
Cook County greed strikes again! Cook County is getting ready to charge for parking at the courthouses located at Bridgview, Maywood, Rolling Meadows and Markham. The last month there has been concrete work on the parking lots- – installing center islands at the entry of the parking lots. I was told by a Cook County…
When a person is arrested and charged with a crime, (DUI, theft, resisting arrest, etc) they want to see the police report and any video evidence as soon as possible. The actual police reports and video evidence is usually tendered on the first court date. It is sometimes possible to obtain the police report and…
When you are arrested for a DUI the police will tow your vehicle, this is true even if your vehicle is parked in a safe location and not in the middle of the street. The reason they do this is to get your money from you. The towing charge is usually over $100. but the…
If your involved in an accident in Illinois and the police officer makes the initial determination that you are at fault, you will like be given a ticket for “Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.” Receiving the ticket means you have to go to court where you will plead “guilty” or “not guilty.”…
The Illinois traffic charge of “Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Peace Officer” is: 625 ILCS 5/11-204 Fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. (a) Any driver or operator of a motor vehicle who, having been given a visual or audible signal by a peace officer directing such driver or operator to bring his…
The State of Illinois has increased the consenquences for a person speeding over 31 mph. Here is the law: Speeding 31 mph Plus Above Limit – No Supervision Courts may not grant court supervision to a violator when they are charged with speeding that is 31 miles per hour or more in excess of the…