A DUI conviction can significantly impact your academic future, affecting both juvenile and adult applicants. Even if juvenile records are shielded, a DUI conviction leaves traces on your driving record, like license suspensions or revocations, that colleges may see. For adult applicants, a DUI conviction can be especially detrimental, as it may hinder their acceptance prospects due to the seriousness of the offense.
Pro Se or Not to Pro Se
Representing yourself in court, known as proceeding “pro se,” is a long-standing legal right in both American and English law. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to legal counsel, it also allows defendants to represent themselves, provided the decision is made knowingly and voluntarily. However, the risks of self-representation are significant, as the saying goes, “every man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”
Expungement and How It Works
Can You File for Expungement Without a Lawyer? Expungement of criminal records is a way of removing the record of criminal charges from your public record. While this is quite common for juvenile offenses, it can be much more difficult to have adult offenses expunged....
Breathalyzer Calibration: Key in DUI Cases
Breathalyzer calibration is critical in DUI cases, as test results often determine the outcome alongside an officer’s observations. These devices measure blood alcohol content (BAC) by analyzing breath samples, making accurate calibration essential to avoid false readings. Errors in calibration or maintenance can lead to inaccurate results, significantly affecting the case and highlighting the importance of challenging unreliable Breathalyzer evidence in DUI defenses.
Criminal Records & Expungement
Expunging criminal records can significantly improve employment opportunities by limiting access to past criminal history. In Illinois, employers cannot inquire about expunged or sealed records and must evaluate a candidate’s qualifications before considering criminal background. A skilled criminal attorney can guide individuals through the expungement process, ensuring their records are properly cleared and boosting their chances of success in the job market.
Is it Illegal to Film Police in Illinois?
Is it Illegal to Film Police in Illinois? For many years, Illinois had one of the strictest eavesdropping laws in the nation. For decades, Illinois outlawed any recording of communications made without the consent of all parties to the conversation. Illinois remains a...
What Happens if I Miss a Probation or Parole Appointment?
Probation and parole, while two very different beasts, both result in a criminal offender either not going to jail at all or getting out of jail early. Both probationers and parolees face the prospect of jail time—including completion of their original sentence—if...
What Qualifies as Identity Theft?
What Qualifies as Identity Theft? Public awareness of identity theft is constantly on the rise in recent years, as more and more news reports describe cyber attacks on websites and retailers that result in the theft of customers’ personal information, including names,...
There Are Collateral Consequences to an Illinois DUI Conviction
There Are Collateral Consequences to an Illinois DUI Conviction You go out for a night on the town with your friends. You drink a few beers, maybe a shot or two. Or maybe you just go out for a dinner with friends that includes some wine. Maybe a little more than some....
What Is the Function of a Grand Jury in a Criminal Trial?
A grand jury operates in secrecy, making it a crime to disclose its proceedings or considerations. Its primary function in the criminal justice system is to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to bring formal charges against a defendant. Due to strict confidentiality laws, most people remain unaware of what grand juries do, as even those involved are prohibited from revealing details.
What Shows Up On a Criminal Record Check?
Background Checks Can Uncover Extensive Amounts of Information About YouWhat Information Can Background Checks Show?How Far Back Do Background Checks Go?If You’re Concerned About the Results of a Background Check, Consult the Criminal Attorneys of Kent Law, LLC Lots...
Facing a Drunk-Driving Charge? Get a Lawyer
If you’re facing a drunk-driving charge, hiring a lawyer is essential to protect your rights and navigate the legal process. After an innocent night out turned into an arrest, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the consequences, from towing fees to time in a holding cell. The next step is critical: choosing the right attorney to help you fight the charges and minimize the impact on your life.
Opioids and Heroin Charges: The Serious Consequences of them
Opioids is now coming to the forefront yet years ago, meth was the big problem, and a hugely successful cable television show told the story of a fictional high school chemistry teacher who took up manufacturing meth to pay for his cancer treatments. Meth was huge,...
Opioid Arrests: What Happens Next?
Opioid addiction has led to a growing crisis in Illinois, with severe consequences for individuals and society. The state faces over $3.5 billion in economic costs annually, alongside more than 5,500 deaths from substance abuse each year—accounting for 5% of all deaths in Illinois. This devastating impact highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive response to address the opioid epidemic and its legal and social challenges.
What Types of Fraud Charges Can Defendants Face?
Defendants in Illinois can face various types of fraud charges, all rooted in using deception to gain financial advantage. These charges can arise from activities such as misrepresenting the value of goods, taking over someone’s credit card or bank accounts, or hiding assets during bankruptcy proceedings. Fraud charges carry severe consequences, including fines, jail time, and felony classifications depending on the value of assets involved.
How Do I Go About Hiring a DUI Attorney?
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI or DWI, hiring a skilled attorney is essential to protect your future. A conviction can lead to severe penalties and long-term consequences, making a strong defense critical. Choosing the right DUI lawyer involves finding someone experienced in DUI cases who can provide expert guidance and build the best possible defense strategy for your situation.
What Are My Rights After an Arrest?
When the police arrest you, you are not automatically considered guilty under the law. This is true no matter what you might think, as knowing an arrest is for something you did will still not result in an automatic conviction. In fact, the American criminal...
Believe it or Not, Marijuana Possession Can Still Be a Crime
It could be easy to believe these days that marijuana use or possession is pretty much not a big deal. Certainly as a legal matter
Probable Cause & Protecting Your Rights
Probable cause is a crucial legal standard that protects individuals from unlawful searches and arrests under the Fourth Amendment. It requires that police have reasonable grounds to believe a crime has been committed or that evidence is present in a specific location. Without probable cause, any arrest or evidence collected can be dismissed in court under the exclusionary rule, often resulting in dropped charges.
Probation: What You Need to Know
Probation in Illinois allows offenders to avoid jail time by complying with specific conditions, such as regular drug testing or counseling. However, violating probation can lead to serious consequences, including extended probation, additional requirements, or even jail time. Having experienced legal counsel during a probation violation hearing is crucial to protect your rights and work toward minimizing the penalties.
Marijuana and DUI: What You Need to Know
Even Legal Marijuana Use Can Result in a Charge of Driving Under the InfluenceTwo Recent Statutes Address Driving Under the Influence of MarijuanaPossession Decriminalized in IllinoisChallenges in Enforcing LawsDespite New Standards, Penalties for Driving Under the...
Tips for Hiring a Juvenile Attorney
The Outcome of a Juvenile Case Can Have Life-Long Consequences When a juvenile commits a minor offense in Illinois, it is possible the minor will be given what is known as a station adjustment, meaning the juvenile will be processed but not charged with a crime. Other...
How to Expunge a Juvenile Charge
Juvenile Charges Can Have Far-Reaching Impacts A wild youth, it seems, no longer is enough of an explanation for juvenile criminal charges. These days, such charges can have long-term consequences, even when they seem to be minor offenses. Such consequences can...
Cocaine Arrests: What Happens Next?
The Serious Consequences of an Arrest on Cocaine Charges Possession or delivery of cocaine is a felony charge in Illinois. Even small amounts of cocaine will yield a felony charge, which means things start out bad. Depending on the amount of cocaine involved, things...