Unmarried fathers must establish paternity, either at birth or after the child is born, in order to have rights when it comes to accessing their children. Once paternity is established, then an unmarried father has the right to seek a court order for custody or visitation, if they need to. #fathersrights,
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a retail theft crime bill on Friday, at Chicago’s Water Tower Place, which has been hit by mobs of teen robbers in recent years.
The bill will create stiffer penalties for ringleaders of “smash and grab” thefts and makes it easier to prosecute them.
House Bill 1091, otherwise known as the INFORM Act, enforces the new crime of Organized Retail Theft. Those who violate the crime by knowingly engaging with others in a theft valued at $300 or more would be guilty of a Class 3 felony. Those who engage in retail theft from one or more establishments would be guilty of a Class 2 felony. #smashandgrabthefts,
Brass knuckles of any type and material are prohibited in Illinois. This includes anything shaped like a brass knuckle, including jewelry, bags, pendants, or necklaces. Carrying or owning brass knuckles is illegal in Illinois, and using brass knuckles to injure is a felony charge.#brassknuckles,
In Illinois, the base level charge for driving on a suspended or revoked license is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to 364 days in jail and $2,500 in fines. If you are driving with a suspended license after being convicted of DUI, Illinois law requires at least 10 days in jail or 30 days of community service. Other aggravating factors, such as causing bodily injury or death while driving on a suspended license, can result in the offense being charged as a felony. A conviction for driving on a suspended license will also usually result in an extension equal to the length of the original suspension, while driving on a revoked license can result in an additional year before you are eligible for reinstatement.
Be advised that if you are caught driving on a suspended license at the time you are arrested for DUI, the consequences of both offenses can also be much more severe. Illinois law holds that if you have a suspended license when you are arrested for DUI, you will be charged with aggravated driving under the influence, which is a Class 4 felony.#drivingsuspended/revokedlicense,
Anyone who knowingly carries out or attempts to carry out a scheme to defraud a bank, or to obtain any of the money or assets the bank controls, can be fined as much as $1 million. In addition, an individual convicted of bank fraud can face a prison term up to 30 years. #bankfraud,
A default judgment occurs in Illinois civil cases when the Defendant has been properly served with a complaint and summons and has failed to file an answer to the complaint by the first court date or to appear in court for the first court date. A default judgment can also occur later in the case if the Defendant ceases to participate in required court dates or other court requirements.
A default judgment grants the relief sought in the plaintiff’s complaint against the defendant and is enforceable just like a judgment order that is entered after a trial. After a default judgment is entered, the plaintiff is required to send notice of the judgment to the party that has been defaulted. #defaultjudgment,
A bill in Tennessee that would require drunk drivers who kill the parent of a minor to pay child support unanimously passed the state Senate on Wednesday.
The bill requires anyone convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication, or aggravated vehicular homicide, when the victim is the parent of a minor child to pay restitution for each child until they are 18 and have graduated high school.
Courts are charged with determining the amount of child support on a case-by-case basis in the bill, depending on the circumstances of the children and their living guardians. If a defendant is unable to pay while incarcerated, they will have one year after release to begin payment.
The bill was also known as "Bentley's Law" after an child in Missouri whose parents were killed in an accident involving a drunk driver, according to news reports. Cecilia Williams is now raising her orphaned grandchild and has advocated for the bill.#bentley'slaw,
