In Illinois, a reckless driving charge has serious legal ramifications and criminal punishment. Reckless driving is defined as the act of driving with a willful disregard for the safety of yourself and others, and a conviction constitutes a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, you can face up to one year in prison and fines as high as $2,500. If another party suffers injuries in a collision caused by reckless driving, the charges can be elevated from a misdemeanor to a felony. Understanding the possible consequences of a reckless driving conviction, it is important to speak with a knowledgeable defense attorney and aggressively fight against the charges. 

Possible Defenses for a Reckless Driving Charge 

While a reckless driving conviction can result in life-changing consequences, there are a number of defensive strategies that can be effective in a reckless driving case. The first step you should take after being charged with reckless driving is hiring an attorney you can trust. After securing a qualified lawyer, you and your attorney will examine the events that lead to your arrest and the arrest procedures taken. Challenging the evidence in a reckless driving case is a common defense. Your attorney will inspect the evidence collected in the case, which usually consists of radar gun readings, video evidence, and witness reports, and determine if an argument can be built on the notion that the evidence was inconclusive. These defenses can center around a witness misremembering the incident, or a radar gun that was improperly calibrated. 

In other instances, your attorney can argue that you were not intending to operate your vehicle in a reckless manner. For instance, a person can be charged with reckless driving for driving upwards of 35 miles per hour over the speed limit. If the arrest took place in an area in which the speed limit dropped rapidly such as a school zone, but speed limit signs were difficult to see, the charges may be dropped. Your attorney can also argue that your intent was not reckless, but negligent, resulting in a petty violation rather than a conviction and a mark on your criminal record. 

Since the start of the new year, recreational marijuana use has been legal in the state of Illinois. When Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 1438, also known as the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana use and changed the landscape of marijuana distribution statewide. The law took effect on Jan. 1, 2020, and also made thousands of prior marijuana convictions eligible for expungement. All that being said, there are still a number of marijuana-related violations that can result in serious drug charges and legal ramifications. 

Possession and Use 

While it is now legal for people in the state of Illinois to possess marijuana, you must comply with the state guidelines. Adults over the age of 21 are legally allowed to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana, edible products totaling no more than 500 milligrams of THC, and up to five grams of cannabis concentrate products. If you are a non-resident visiting Illinois, those possession limits are cut in half. Possessing more than 30 grams of marijuana can result in a Class A misdemeanor charge and up to one year in prison. It is also important to note that only licensed dispensaries are allowed to distribute marijuana. The illegal sale of marijuana can lead to misdemeanor or felony charges. One can also face fines for using marijuana in public areas, motor vehicles, or in the presence of minors. 

Marijuana and Motor Vehicle Operation 

With recreational marijuana use now legal in the state, law enforcement officials are now increasingly on the lookout for drugged driving. If you are tested with a THC blood concentration upwards of five nanograms per milliliter of blood, you will face a charge for driving under the influence of marijuana. Law enforcement officials have the right to request chemical testing if they have probable cause to believe you may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Signs of marijuana use can include drug paraphernalia, smell, and visible symptoms such as eye discoloration. A first-time DUI offender can face Class A misdemeanor charges and significant fines. 

Domestic violence continues to be a massive issue throughout the United States. Recognizing this, law enforcement officials treat domestic violence accusations with extreme care and the legal ramifications of a conviction can be life-changing. Unfortunately, there is an alarmingly high number of false or fabricated domestic violence accusations made each and every year. If you have been accused of domestic violence, it is important to act quickly and reach out to a knowledgeable criminal defense professional.  

Defining Domestic Violence 

Domestic violence accusations do not have to come in the form of physical violence. A person can make a domestic violence claim due to threats, verbal abuse, and intimidation, as well as physical or sexual abuse. If a claim is made that one party was physically harming the other, the accused can face serious legal consequences. In the state of Illinois, a domestic battery charge can lead to a Class A misdemeanor, significant fines, and up to one year in prison. There are a number of aggravating factors that can elevate the charge to a felony and lead to harsher criminal punishments. 

Victims of abuse can pursue an order of protection against their alleged abuser, prohibiting the subject from approaching or contacting the petitioner. A violation of a protective order can result in legal consequences. According to the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, an order of protection violation constitutes a Class A misdemeanor charge and can lead to one year in prison. False accusations of domestic violence are often made during the divorce process, in an attempt to secure full parental responsibility for children. Whether you have been accused of domestic battery or any form of domestic violence, it is critically important to speak with a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney, as soon as possible. 

With the passing of Illinois’ new marijuana law, it is now legal for people to recreationally consume marijuana within the state. While the law may have changed the way in which law enforcement officials look at marijuana use, that is not the case with substances such as cocaine, heroin, and various schedule two drugs. If you have been charged with possession of illegal narcotics, you could be facing serious legal ramifications. 

The Legal Consequences

Thousands of drug arrests are made throughout the state of Illinois each year and come with significant criminal punishment. According to the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, possession of an illegal narcotic like heroin or cocaine constitutes a felony charge. The severity of the charges will vary based on the amount of the substance the person has in their possession. For instance, if a person is apprehended with less than 15 grams of cocaine, they will face Class 4 felony charges, fines up to $25,000 and one to three years in prison. If they have more than 15 grams in their possession, prosecutors may conclude that they were attempting to distribute and sell the narcotics. This charge constitutes a Class 1 felony and a mandatory four-year prison sentence. 

It should be noted that if an officer believes that the person is attempting to sell the substance, the charge will be more severe than a possession charge, regardless of the amount of the substance. If a person has the intent to sell, even with less than one gram of cocaine, they will face Class 2 felony charges and no less than three years in prison. Drug charges for other substances such as heroin and morphine mirror the charges that come with cocaine possession and distribution. 

In the state of Illinois, a variety of traffic violations can result in a license suspension or revocation. While the severity of the suspension or revocation will depend on the type of offense, losing driving privileges is not as uncommon as many would assume. Most people have an understanding of the fact that major traffic violations such as driving under the influence of alcohol or reckless driving can result in a license suspension, yet few understand that minor offenses can lead to a suspension. If a driver receives three minor traffic citations for a moving violation in a span of a year, he or she could face a suspension. All that being said, it is essential to understand the legal ramifications of driving with a suspended or revoked license. 

Understanding the Legal Consequences 

Operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked license is not a minor traffic violation – it is a criminal offense. A first-time offender is likely to face a Class A misdemeanor charge, which could lead to up to one year in prison and fines as high as $2,500. It should be noted that if a driver has lost their driving privileges due to a serious violation (such as a DUI), the charge may be elevated to a felony charge. If a driver is apprehended while driving on a suspended or revoked license for a second time, they will face Class 4 felony charges, which can result in up to one year of jail time and fines up to $25,000.