DWLS

The rule of strict liability in traffic court

June 24, 2012
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One of the most important rules in criminal cases is that court cannot convict a person of a crime unless the prosecution has proven that the defendant had the requisite mental state. The prosecution must prove that the defendant intended to commit a crime. The Illinois constitution prohibits the prosecution from convicting a person of [...]

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Driving while license suspended: more serious than a ticket

March 16, 2012
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As an attorney I cannot count the number of times clients say to me, “I did not get arrested for driving while suspended. I just got a ticket.” Many people are misinformed. The law in Illinois says that a person does not have to be handcuffed in order to be, in legal terms, arrested. A [...]

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Traffic tickets and drivers under age 21: serious penalties

February 4, 2012
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Illinois is one of the toughest states when it comes to a young person’s driving privileges. In addition to the Zero Tolerance law, which suspends a person’s driver’s license for consuming alcohol before age 21, the Secretary of State has multiple laws it can use to take away your license. In fact, a driver who [...]

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