Majority of car accidents caused by distracted driving

A new study from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) found that, in most car crashes, distracted driving plays a role. They dug deep on this problem, examining phone logs from drivers in hundreds of thousands of real accidents.

The new study found in 52 percent of all wrecks, drivers had been on their phones. These aren't just fender benders -- 29 percent of drivers were doing over 56 miles per hour.

On-call attorneys now available for consultations in Chicago police stations

Chief Judge signs order to provide free lawyers for arrestees in CPD custody

On-call attorneys now available for consultations in police stations

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans signed an order that will help individuals held in Chicago Police Department custody gain access to a free attorney in the police station.

Currently, the vast majority of arrestees do not receive legal representation until their first court appearance, which is for a bail hearing. 

The order signed by Chief Judge Evans designates the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender to send one of its attorneys to the police station or designate a volunteer private attorney to attend in place of an assistant public defender. In 2015, 89 percent of defendants in the Circuit Court of Cook County were represented by the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender.


Arrestees will have access to assistant public defenders on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteer attorneys from First Defense Legal Aid will assist individuals during all other hours and on weekends and holidays.

Under the new Illinois statute, child support is calculated by determining the gross income of each parent.Then, with appropriate calculations, the incomes of each parent are then tax affected to determine the individual and total net income of the family. These calculations are usually performed by implementing software programs such as “Family Law Software,” used  by many judges on their desktop computers. Once that total number is determined, there will be a published chart that will allow the parties and their attorneys to cross reference the amount of total child support that is found to be applicable to a given family at that income level, and for a given number of children. That total amount is then allocated depending on the percentage of income that each parent contributes to the total.

High court allows judges to consider racial bias in jury room

The Supreme Court took a strong new stand against racial bias in jury rooms, ruling for the first time that reports of racist comments by jurors may require setting aside a verdict and holding a new trial.

Cook County prosecutors will not oppose the release of those held on non-violent offenses who cannot come up with small cash bonds. Keeping many nonviolent offenders behind bars crowds the jail.

Time limits on filing an Illinois injury lawsuit

Illinois sets a time limit of two years on filing a personal injury lawsuit in the state's civil court system. This two-year time limit, known as a "statute of limitations," begins to run on the date of the accident in most cases. Sometimes, however, a statute of limitations might run from the date you discovered you were injured, rather than the date of the event that injured you. This later date is known as a "discovery date."
For injury claims against a city or county, you have one year to file a lawsuit. The time limit to sue the state is two years, but you must file a formal claim within one year in order to sue.

Illinois law is especially harsh when it comes to driving and drugs. If you are tested and found to have anyamount of an illegal drug — or even a legal prescription drug that has adversely affected your ability to drive — or drug metabolite in your body while you are behind the wheel, you can be charged with a crime just as if you were drunk. And that can lead to severe  penalties.