In most courtrooms, you will note the image of Lady Justice who carries scales and is blindfolded. This carries the connotation that justice or the criminal justice system should be (but is not) blind to prejudice and other characteristics of the baser intellect. No better (nor ironic) evidence of this…
Adel Daoud will now face sentencing after pleading guilty (sort of) to conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempts to commit terrorism. Daoud was led by the hand to commit acts of terror against the American people by undercover FBI agents. He pushed a button on a detonator that he believed…
Insanity pleas are notorious because they are often dramatized in television shows and movies. In the real world, they are very difficult to prove. There are two things you should understand about an insanity plea, and these things are often confused. Before there is a trial, the judge will need…
Erick Maya has successfully appealed his conviction by arguing that he suffered from ineffective assistance of counsel. This is despite the fact that he was represented by one of the most highly-regarded criminal defense attorneys in Illinois, George Lenard. Maya was accused and convicted of murdering Romeoville 15-year-old Briana Valle…
You have to be careful about accepting any kind of a plea. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Just ask Jussie Smollett. He may have gotten off with a slap on the wrist, but now the police department is suing him for money related…
Prosecutors in the Jussie Smollett case opted to offer the maligned Empire actor an alternative disposition sentence of community service and the forfeiture of his $10,000 bond in lieu of prosecuting Smollett on 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct. Smollett stood accused of faking a hate crime against himself. Chicago…
A man involved in a bizarre love triangle was charged with murder after a shooting in Evanston. Sandoval Cobian, 38 years old, is facing murder charges after allegedly shooting his romantic rival in the north suburb. The Chicago native was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as reported by…
Because domestic violence is a very real and pervasive threat in the U.S., the Illinois legislature has concentrated on making domestic violence laws more stringent. Law enforcement in the state has created dynamic new policies. Prosecutors are now responsible for enforcing new laws in addition to ones that are already…
White-collar crime may consist of various charges at both the state and federal level. The stereotype of an individual engaging in white collar crime may be the high-level corporate executive in a tailored suit who sacrifices the future of his company for personal gain. But a crime of this nature…
Many residents of Chicago and the surrounding area view violent crime as something completely out of their control. Fighting violent crime in Chicago takes the coordinated effort of police and residents of the city. So far this year, shootings and homicides have a downward trend according to police. To date,…