Beginning in 2016, the rules to seal a criminal record will be eased. Of the six bills I’ve been tracking, Governor Rauner signed three bills into law earlier this month, sent two bills back for revisions, and one bill remains stalled in the House.
Read MoreIn May, I highlighted several bills the Illinois General Assembly was considering to reduce employment and licensing barriers for ex-offenders. Since then two bills have been sent to Governor Rauner. If he signs them, they will go into effect in January 2016.
Read MoreSeveral months ago I published the first part of a two-part blog posting on separating fact from fiction on the ramifications of having a criminal record. This posting includes the remaining five things you should know if you have a criminal record in Illinois:
Read MoreThe truth about having a criminal record is often misunderstood. Whether the fault of arm chair legal "experts" or urban legend, there is a great deal of information out there that is simply not true. The following is a list of the some of the most commonly-held falsehoods:
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