The Georgia Congressman came to Chicago at the invitation of the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, a non-profit, Evanston-based, legal aid agency. Rep. Lewis agreed to be the guest of honor at the Moran Center’s annual spring gala that year. It’s not that often I get excited about meeting a public figure. In 2018, I was fortunate to meet Congressman John Lewis. I was excited.
Read MoreStarting July 1, 2020, if you have unpaid parking tickets or toll charges, the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) is no longer required to suspend or revoke your license. And, if your license is currently suspended for these reasons, the SOS will automatically reinstate your license at no cost to you.
Read MoreIn 2016, I was working with a client, an African-American man in his early 30s, who kept getting arrested because another man, living in Indiana, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and both men shared the same name and date of birth.
One morning I got a call from my client’s girlfriend. She informed me that Steve (not his real name) had been arrested by the Chicago Police and was in custody at the 7th District police station, in Englewood. She had no further details. I told her I would find out what was going on, assuming that the Indiana warrant was the problem.
Read MoreWith COVID-19 infecting prison staff and inmates in large numbers across the U.S., governors are facing pressure to commute prison sentences – especially for those with underlying medical conditions, are elderly, close to their release date, or have served significant time in prison.
While it is true that COVID-19 has shown the spotlight on prisons, for those inmates not considered at high risk for contracting and dying from the virus, the factors normally used to weigh the merits of a petition seeking a sentence commutation probably haven’t changed much. The rest of this article will discuss what these factors are.
Read MoreExecutive Clemency, Illinois - For those unfamiliar with the term, commutation is the act of releasing someone from prison before their projected parole date. During his first year in office, Gov. Pritzker granted three commutations. His recent actions suggest that the COVID-19 outbreak may have played a role. Across the U.S., governors have been urged to release prison inmates with underlying medical conditions, those close to their parole eligibility date or who would not pose a risk to the community.
Read MoreIf you are an Illinois FOID card holder and have applied for but been denied a Concealed Carry License (CCL), you are not alone. More people qualify for a FOID card than a CCL permit due to differing eligibility standards. The rules for who is eligible to obtain a FOID card in Illinois are relatively straightforward. Under Illinois law, those responsible for issuing CCL permits have been granted considerably more leeway in deciding who should receive a permit.
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