In 2018, the Chicago Tribune published a series of articles about students who had been sexually abused by Chicago Public School (CPS) staff and the subsequent failure by CPS to respond appropriately when learning of the misconduct. The school district’s initial response was to re-run criminal background checks on all of its employees. Some employees lost their jobs following the district-wide background rechecks.
Read MoreIn both 2020 and 2021, Governor Pritzker was not shy about using his clemency pen. In 2021 alone, Gov. Pritzker granted 99 pardons and commuted 21 prison sentences. With the first half of this year in the rearview mirror, it is doubtful Gov. Pritzker will post as robust clemency numbers as he did in 2021.
Read MoreCan you expunge a DUI in Illinois? Earlier this week I learned, much to my shock, that a former clemency client recently overdosed and died the same month he turned 44.
It had been a few years since I’d last spoken to L. Based on our last contact, I had no reason to be concerned about his welfare. In fact, L had been on an uphill trajectory for several years. After he got clean, he’d returned to school, got his undergraduate degree. When I first met him in 2016, he was working on his graduate degree. His ultimate goal was to become a licensed clinical professional counselor.
Read MoreExpungement and Sealing a Criminal Record - In recent months it has come to my attention that Cook County expungement and sealing orders, in some instances, have not been sent to the Illinois State Police (ISP) for processing. In writing this blog, it is not my intention to unnecessarily alarm those who’ve petitioned to expunge or seal criminal records in Cook County. Rather, it is to remind you that if you haven’t gotten a letter from the ISP, you need to look into why not.
Even though employers in Illinois are not supposed to take arrest record information into account, job offers are routinely withdrawn for reasons as insignificant as an arrest record or a civil ordinance violation for underage drinking. Even as they struggle to fill positions, employer still reject applicants with criminal records. Until you’ve expunged or sealed your record, here is what you can do.
Read MoreA year ago, to no one’s surprise, Illinois Gov. Pritzker granted no clemency petitions in the first few months of 2020. When he commenced issuing executive clemency decisions, starting in March, Gov. Pritzker focused solely on commuting prison sentences. Over a three-month period, he commuted 20 prison sentences to time served.
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