Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council will hold its last on-line public hearing on September 29, 2022. Anyone interested may watch the hearing, submit written comments (due by September 26, at 5:00 pm CST) or sign up to speak for three minutes at the hearing.
Read MoreBefore August 24, 2017, when someone asked me if their criminal record could be sealed, as long the waiting period sealing a criminal record in Illinois had run out and the person had an eligible offense, my answer was usually an unequivocal “yes.” Today, my answer now depends on the nature of the offense -- especially when it involves a crime of violence.
Read MoreThe rules to expunge or seal a criminal record in Illinois are fairly straightforward. That said, it never ceases to amaze me how often petitioners file to expunge or seal a criminal record too soon -- before their waiting period to file has run out.
Read MoreIn 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.
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