A startling new report released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found that Chicago police conduct more stop and frisks than any other police department in the nation. In 2014, the Chicago police conducted more than 250,000 stop and frisks that did not result in arrest, making the possibility…
An Indian Head Park man was arrested and charged with home invasion after allegedly gaining access to the victim’s home by impersonating a police officer and assaulting the man. Home Invasion: Separate Offense from Residential Burglary While home invasion and residential burglary have similar elements – both involve unlawfully gaining…
An Evanston man was arrested and charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into three Elgin gas stations last month and stealing cash and Illinois state lottery tickets. Illinois Burglary Requires Intent to Steal Under Illinois law a person commits the crime of burglary if: He knowingly enters a building; The…
A Chicago man was arrested last week and charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly firing at two Chicago police officers as they were arresting him for shoplifting. The defendant allegedly fired once, though nobody was injured; he continued to fire not realizing the clip had fallen out. Attempted First-Degree…
In response to officer killings of unarmed men around the country last summer, the Chicago Police Department equipped 30 police officers with body cameras late January, as part of a pilot program to provide evidence (or lack thereof) of police misconduct, such as unlawful search and seizures or excessive force,…
A Chicago man was charged with arson last week for allegedly throwing a lit matchbook into a recycling bin in an El station before boarding his red line train. Chicago Arson Defense Under Illinois law a person commits arson if he knowingly damages another person’s personal property, if that property…
The Illinois State Police announced the arrival of a new member to its K-9 unit recently, a dog trained in narcotics detection to aid in drug crimes investigations. I have discussed extensively on this blog the 4th Amendment right of all people to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.…
Eyewitness identification is heavily relied upon by juries and judges when deciding on a criminal defendant’s guilt or innocence – yet it is the leading cause of wrongful conviction. A new Illinois law seeks to cut down on the misidentification of criminal suspects in police lineups by eliminating the potential…
A Cook County man was arrested last week and charged with felony threats to a police officer, assault and various weapons charges, after a person reported a Facebook post in which he threatened to kill police officers. Threat to Illinois Police Officer Under Illinois law a person can be convicted…
A Southside Chicago man claims that Chicago police stormed his home, placed him in a chokehold and arrested him for doing nothing more than walking down the street. Police arrested the man on misdemeanor counts of battery, resisting arrest, and possession of a deadly weapon. The man’s niece captured the…