Last year, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) penalized145 individuals due to their pre-license criminal conduct. This group included applicants for nursing, counseling, real estate, barbering, cosmetology, massage therapy, pharmacy, professional engineering, and PERC licenses.
Read MoreThe authority to pardon (grant clemency) someone for a crime under state law belongs to the governor. In most states, a pardon restores rights taken away after following a criminal conviction - usually for a felony (e.g., right to vote, hold public office, own a gun). In Illinois, we are fortunate in that the right to vote is automatically reinstated after one is released from prison (no prison sentence, voting rights are never suspended). A pardon is an act of forgiveness, public recognition that someone is fully rehabilitated.
Read MoreAs the Illinois General Assembly approaches its deadline for passing legislation this year, two bills are worth watching if you or someone you know has a criminal background. If passed, one bill would permit more convicted felons to seal their records, while the other bill will make it easier for someone with a criminal record to obtain a professional or occupational license.
Read MoreWhether a defendant is released on a cash bond, on his or her own recognizance ("I bond"), or not at all, is the first crucial decision a judge makes after someone is arrested. Despite the importance of this decision, in most U.S. courtrooms this ruling has been primarily a subjective one.
Read MoreAfter several failed lobbying attempts, the Illinois Legislature finally agreed to amend the Criminal Identification Act to extend the right to seal to individuals with minor violent (misdemeanor) offenses such as simple battery, assault, and reckless conduct. On August 19, 2014, Governor signed this legislation into law. The law will go into effect starting January 1, 2015.
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