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clem-onojeghuo-173534-copy-300x205Shoplifting is classified under the theft statutes. The key provisions are contained in statutory instrument number 720 ILCS 5/16-1. It is at the lower end of the crimes of dishonesty but can still be prosecuted and lead to terms of imprisonment. Over the years, there have been many changes that were designed to reform the regime. For example, there are some new sophisticated techniques for shoplifting that may not have been covered by the original statutes in Chicago. That is why defense attorneys have to ensure that they are up to date with the latest versions of the law. This is one of the most prosecuted crimes not because of its seriousness but rather its frequency of occurrence. Shoplifting is an occupational hazard for marketplaces because there are always people who want to take things without paying for them.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a crime that is consigned to the lower orders of society. Rather, it cuts across, and there have been instances of perfectly wealthy people who have been caught shoplifting. Sometimes, it is a case of temporary economic deprivation; other times, the defendant may be suffering from psychosocial problems such as kleptomania. It is imperative that the defense attorney explores all the possible explanations before the client is either found guilty or sentenced. The existence of a recognized condition might be a mitigating factor in such cases. It is also important to advise the client not to accept higher charges in order to avoid appearing in court because the resultant criminal record can become a hazard.

Protections for the Defendants

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ben-white-194220-copy-300x200At the heart of the laws on statutory rape in Chicago is the definition of the age of consent. At the moment, the age of consent in this state is 17 years of age. At the federal level, the age of consent is defined as that minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally old enough to agree to participate in a sexual activity. That age is 16 at the federal level, so defending attorneys already need to be wary of conflicts in interpretation. The bottom line is that the state law takes precedence on this, so if you are in Chicago, 17 is the minimum acceptable age for consent to take place. It is important to note that even when explicit consent is provided by the victim, the fact that he or she does not make the minimum age means that he or she is not able to give legal consent.

A statutory rape charge is brought about based on the age of the victim (and, to an extent, that of the defendant) according to 720 ILCS 5/12-15. It is not really about whether the victims said yes, no, or maybe. It is about their age and whether they were allowed to make those judgements. There are other important provisions in the law that relate to the relationship between the defendant and the victim. If you are in a position of authority or trust (such as a family doctor, priest, boss, etc.), the age of consent in Chicago is raised to 18 years of age. The challenge for the defending attorney is to determine whether the defendant was really in a position of power, authority, or trust. This can be a significant aspect of the defense strategy.

Consequences of a Charge and Conviction

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wil-stewart-24563-copy-300x200Public consumption is a controlled activity. The laws relating to public intoxication in Chicago are designed for the express purpose of protecting the public from the effects of alcohol and other drugs. In any case, anyone that is caught with a DUI and a blood alcohol level that exceeds 0.08 is immediately liable for prosecution. The open container laws mean that you can be charged even if you did not consume the product. The implicit assumption is that there is no other legitimate reason for opening a container of alcohol unless you intend to consume it. Clever defending attorneys may try to play about with the syntax of the statute but the spirit of the law is clear.

The statute states that it is illegal to transport, carry or possess any container with alcohol when they are within a passenger area of a car whilst on a highway. Those who are still opening cans of beer and placing them in the cup holder as they drive are actually committing an offense, even if they can prove to the court that they never actually drank the alcohol. Even more heinous is the idea of holding the can in one hand whilst driving. Not only does that break the rules on public consumption of alcohol, but it is also potentially dangerous driving, which is taken seriously by the courts.

A Complex Law that Captures Both Drivers and Passengers

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patrick-schopflin-38860-copy-300x200Chicago has instituted a number of stringent requirements for children or minors being in possession of alcohol. The Minor in Possession (MIP) laws are unique in they focus on the one with parental or supervisory responsibility as being an exception clause. For teenagers, the MIP laws tend to capture those who are drinking and driving whilst under age. The penalties will typically also include the suspension of the driver’s license in order to reflect the specific circumstances in which this crime is committed. The law is written in such a way that you can be charged with Minor in Possession infringements even if you were not drinking at the time. The key constituent elements of the crime are all about carrying alcohol rather than just consuming it.

There has been some discussion as to whether the law has a built-in privacy provision that would protect dwelling places from prosecution. This is in addition to the usual political process of legislating. In reality, most of the enforcement takes place on the road or in bars/public drinking places. Unless the information about the crime was discovered during an alternative investigation, it is not a given that the law enforcement agencies will invade the privacy of your home in order to assess whether you are in contravention of the Minor in Possession laws. The specific wording of the law says that the law is intended to capture those who have alcohol on them in a public place or a place that is open to the public when they are not 21 years of age.

Possible Penalties and Sanctions

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aaron-burden-149693-copy-300x225Although Chicago would like to make itself a friendly place for businesses, there are some types of businesses that will never be welcomed here. One of them is telemarketing fraud, an infringement on consumer protection laws. This offense has gotten the attention of legislative bodies and the wider legal community because it affects communities in a big way. A particularly resourceful criminal can defraud a whole segment of the community and leave them in difficult circumstances. It is for this reason that the offense is recognized as being serious and attracts prosecutorial interest whenever the facts are proven. Underpinning the law is the expectation that businesses will follow a code of ethics. Unfortunately, there are some industries that do not abide by such a code.

The self-regulation model has failed in a world of cutthroat competition. Those who play by the rules end up being priced out of the market whilst those who are taking consumers for a ride are given an expressway to seemingly insurmountable success. The law is clear about the obligations to sell in an honest manner, regardless of the temptation to take competition to its zenith. The victims are typically trusting and vulnerable. These have always been aggravating features in virtually any crime that you can think of in Chicago. The courts have continued the tradition of punishing those offenders who target the most vulnerable.

Reporting and Gathering Evidence

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markus-spiske-153537-200x300The internet is a mixed blessing from a legal point of view. On one hand, it can open up opportunities for trade beyond anything that we have ever seen. On the other hand, it opens up the possibility for some modern crimes such as wire fraud in Chicago. It is important to note that this is a federal offense, even if the local law enforcement agencies in Chicago may be involved in the prosecution process. A conviction can lead to significant fines and a long term of imprisonment (see the Alan Gold case). The courts respond to public outcries about white collar crime defendants who are able to get away with large scale offenses and yet the judges are limited by sentencing guidelines from imposing the harshest terms of imprisonment.

Special circumstances apply if the crime is committed against a financial institution, thereby denting public confidence in the system. In such cases, the defendant may be sent to jail for up to 30 years. The lengthy investigative process has sometimes been associated with an enhanced flight risk. Therefore; the defending attorney will have to address issues of bail quite early on. Then comes the long investigative process during which the facts themselves might appear to be overwhelming the case. The prosecutor will be able to ask for a number of documents and witness statements under court order. The defense will also ask for documents to examine substantive and procedural defects in the prosecution’s case.

Moving to Discovery

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get-budding-72791-copy-300x200The sale of marijuana for medical purposes is a hot topic in legal circles, following a number of reform efforts. That is no different in Chicago where laws are in place to ensure that people can access much-needed relief whilst at the same time protecting the rest of the public from some of the worst effects of Marijuana. This remains a controlled substance and citizens should not assume that they can trade in it without any legal consequences. When the law was passed allowing medical marijuana, there was an upsurge in purchases. The first week alone saw sales of over $200,000 and covering over 800 patients. Each ounce costs about $450 and during that heady week, over 400 ounces were sold.

The legal issues at stake are always interesting to both prosecutors and defense attorneys. At the heart of it is the difference between freedom of choice and the need to put controls on substances that have proven to be harmful. The law was always playing a delicate game that matched the needs of the wider community to those of the individual. Whereas it seemed heartless to leave someone to suffer in pain, it was equally heart-wrenching to see people’s lives being destroyed by marijuana. So far it seems that the legislative regime has managed to hit the right spots on this delicate balancing line.

A Long Journey Toward Legalization

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benjamin-voros-160962-300x200One of the current and most insidious forms of harassment is cyber bullying. It is now recognized as a serious crime in Chicago and prosecutors are highly motivated to go for those that continue doing it under the auspices of instrument number 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 5/12-7.5. The problem with such cases is the degree of difficulty in actually proving that everything happened as the victim described. Institutions such as schools have come up with bespoke policies that are designed to manage the risks. Some local ordinances demand such measures as a prerequisite to being licensed.

Some defense attorneys have expressed concern that the zeal to prosecute may lead to a violation of the defendant’s civil liberties. What was once accepted as normal conflict between and amongst teenagers is now a crime that can land someone in jail. Others point out that the resultant criminal record is an overly excessive punishment for the crime. On the other hand, it is noted that cyber bullying can lead to serious consequences for the victim including self-harm and even suicide on some occasions.

Key Ingredients of the Crime

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jack-young-143113-300x200Making terrorist threats is a serious crime that can lead to significant terms of custody. This is particularly true in this age of international terrorism, which has the capability of harming thousands of people. The global definitions hold sway. Interestingly, the law is rarely used in Chicago, not least because the controls put in place make it difficult for people who are that way inclined to hurt the rest of the population. There are instances in which the law has been used to suppress free speech and protest. For example; there was some public outcry when people who had been protesting against NATO were prosecuted. Other defense attorneys have argued that the law may be written in such a vague way that it opens the way for eventual abuse.

This is a law of which the public at large is critical. Terrorism causes terror and that is the beginning point of the prosecution. This criterion is also being modified in order to reflect the realities of a crime that is still in its development stages. For example, a threat made in jest whilst on a plane is bound to cause significant stress nonetheless. Therefore, the prosecutor will be given leeway to prosecute based on the reasonable expectations and anticipations of the people that are on the airplane. Indeed, it would be advisable not to make any threats at all because they could fall under other criminal laws.

Credibility of the Threat

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w33-zg-dnl4-rami-al-zayat-300x200Revenge porn is a crime that is gaining prominence in the age of social media. The law in Chicago took some time to catch up with the reality that some victims were being exposed to serious danger. By 2015, the state legislature had decided to write a law that set out the parameters for an effective prosecution. The leading instrument is 720 ILCS 5/11-46. At the moment revenge porn is considered to be a felony offense. In actuality, Chicago is in the minority when it comes to jurisdictions that have finally started criminalizing this type of behavior. Illinois is noted as the state with the strictest laws in this category. The crux of the offense is sharing nude or compromising images and videos of a person without his or her consent. One must have the unequivocal consent of a person in intimate images before those images can be shared.

It is entirely possible that images which are not extremely explicit can be considered to be part of a revenge porn offense. The charge can stick even if the person had originally consented to the recording of the image but was then unaware that the image was going to be distributed. Defense lawyers have argued that the definition is too wide and gives the court way too much discretion in determining what constitutes revenge porn. Chicago has different from other states in important ways as follows:

  • The intention to cause harm is not necessary for the charge to stick. All that is required is that the images or videos were distributed. Malicious intent can be an aggravating factor but its absence does not remove the charge.
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