When you are accused of participating in a drug conspiracy in Illinois, you face one of the most complex and serious categories of criminal charges under state law. These cases often involve multiple defendants. Investigations are often long and rely on surveillance, wiretaps, or informants. A single conversation or text message can lead to a conspiracy indictment, even if you never sold or possessed illegal drugs.
As of 2025, Illinois law still treats conspiracy charges under 720 ILCS 5/8-2, but the courts have refined how prosecutors must prove a case. For anyone charged in Cook County or the
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Scott F. Anderson Blogs
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When Do You Have to Register as a Sex Offender in Illinois?
Being accused or convicted of a sex crime in Illinois will change your life immediately. One of the biggest consequences is sex offender registration. Having to register as a sex offender means you must give law enforcement your information, report regularly, and follow rules about where you live and work. Understanding when registration is required is very important. Breaking the rules can mean serious legal consequences, including further criminal convictions and jail time.
If you are in Illinois and are facing sex crime charges, you need help right away. Our Rolling Meadows sex crimes defense attorney has over 25 years
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Am I Going to Go to Jail?
Getting arrested or charged with a crime is overwhelming, especially if this is your first time in serious trouble. You may be asking yourself the same question over and over: “Am I going to go to jail?” The truth is that the answer depends on many factors, such as what crime you are charged with, your past record, and how good your Rolling Meadows criminal defense attorney is.
First, you need to have a basic understanding of how the Illinois criminal system works. Knowing the fundamentals about crimes, bail, plea deals, and alternatives to jail can help you take the
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Can the Police Search My Phone Without a Warrant in Illinois?
When police seize a phone during an arrest or investigation, the first question most people ask is whether officers can legally go through its contents. Smartphones contain everything from personal photos and banking apps to private messages and location data. For many, they hold extremely personal information.
If you live in Illinois, you should know that state law, federal constitutional protections, and evolving case law all limit when and how law enforcement can legally search your phone. As of September 2025, the law is clear: In most cases, the police need a search warrant to look through the contents of
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How Do Police Prove Something is Drug Paraphernalia?
Being arrested for drug-related charges is intimidating enough, but sometimes the situation feels even more intense and unfair when the police seize everyday objects and claim they are “drug paraphernalia.” Under Illinois law, paraphernalia charges can carry serious consequences, even if drugs are not present.
But how do police take a simple, everyday item like a plastic baggie or a spoon and claim it is involved in drugs? Can you not simply claim that those things are totally unrelated, and you happened to have them lying around the house? Knowing how police try to prove an item is paraphernalia, and
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What’s the Difference Between a Felony and a Misdemeanor in Illinois?
The word “criminal” can feel like a brand, a permanent stamp that separates the accused from everyone else. But not all criminal charges carry the same weight. Some are serious enough to destroy careers, families, and futures. Others, while still consequential, may offer a path forward without lifelong consequences.
In Illinois, the criminal justice system separates crimes into two main categories: felonies and misdemeanors. If you or someone you love is facing charges for either of these types of crimes, understanding the difference could shape everything that comes next. Whatever level of charges you may be facing, our Rolling
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Most Common Charges for Sex Crimes Against Children
Crimes against children are some of the most serious offenses in Illinois. Prosecutors pursue these cases aggressively, often to make examples out of the accused, and convictions lead to long prison sentences, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and extremely serious personal and professional consequences.
If you are facing allegations of a sex crime against a child, you need to know what you are up against. Even false accusations can lead to arrests, damaged reputations, and intrusive investigations. The sooner you get an Arlington Heights, IL criminal defense attorney for sex crimes involving minors on your side, the more likely
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Parked But Prosecuted: Can You Get a DUI Without Driving?
Most of us associate DUI charges with behaviors like swerving across lanes and then failing a breathalyzer after being pulled over. In the state of Illinois, you can face DUI charges even if you were not actually driving. Simply sitting or sleeping in your parked vehicle while you are under the influence can result in serious legal consequences.
So, finding out that you are being arrested for DUI can feel very unfair. If you have been charged with DUI as a result of being in a parked car, it is a good idea to speak to an experienced Arlington Heights,
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What to Expect at Your First Illinois DUI Court Appearance
If you have been arrested for DUI, you are likely full of anxiety and uncertainty regarding your future. Part of this stems from the fact that those who have never been in trouble with the law before have no prior experience with the judicial system. Not knowing what is going to happen can be very stressful.
It may be helpful to read through Illinois DUI laws, which are found under Statute 625 ILCS 5/11-501. While it may not make a difference in the outcome, the more prepared you are, the easier your first DUI court appearance (arraignment) will
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Are Automatic License Plate Readers Unconstitutional?
The Illinois legislature passed a bill this year that would rewrite the definition of “forcible felony” so that state police can use images from automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) to further apprehension and prosecution of human traffickers. When a license plate number from an ALPR matches one of those in the multi-agency databases, the Illinois State Police are alerted.
Currently, the law allows the use of ALPRs for the investigation of cases that involve vehicular hijacking, terrorism, motor vehicle theft, or any forcible felony (treason, first and second-degree murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, robbery, burglary, and aggravated battery resulting in
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Could You Be Eligible for an Illinois DUI Diversion Program?
Facing DUI charges in Illinois can feel overwhelming. Because there are serious potential consequences of a DUI conviction, you may not know what you need to do to protect yourself and your future. You may fear losing your job and your livelihood, being unable to drive due to a suspended driver’s license, the financial cost, and the public stigma that often accompanies a DUI conviction.
If you are a first-time DUI offender, there may be a bit of good news. The state of Illinois, like many states, has alternative diversion programs for first-time DUI offenders. Diversion programs focus on rehabilitation
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Is Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm a Felony?
A Chicago man was recently charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and trespassing. The man allegedly entered a restricted underground CTA area near a Red Line Station, then took out a gun and fired shots upward through a grate at people walking on the sidewalk. While no one was injured when the shots were fired, the 24-year-old now faces serious charges, with serious penalties if convicted.
If you are facing a weapons charge like aggravated discharge of a firearm, you must take these charges very seriously. Weapons charges are aggressively prosecuted in the state and have severe penalties.
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How Accurate Are Field Sobriety Tests Results?
Field sobriety tests often play a significant role in DUI cases. Reasonable suspicion must be present for a law enforcement officer to pull you over. Even if the officer observes you leaving a bar at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, he or she may not pull you over unless you commit a traffic infraction.
You must be violating traffic laws in some way– weaving back and forth across the center line, driving extremely slowly or at an excessive speed, running a stop sign, etc. – for the officer to legally pull you over. So, assuming you were driving erratically and
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Understanding BAC Levels and How They Affect a DUI
Blood alcohol content, or BAC, is the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood after they have consumed alcoholic beverages. Every state in the United States except Utah has set a BAC of 0.08 percent as the legal limit. (In Utah, the limit is 0.05 percent.) Most states also set a legal limit of 0.04 percent for those with CDL licenses.
For those under the age of 21, the BAC limit could be 0.02 percent, although some states have a “zero tolerance” for underage drivers who consume alcohol. This means any level of alcohol in the minor’s system can result
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When Can You Walk Away from a Police Stop or Interview?
About 53.8 million U.S. residents over the age of 16 had some type of contact with police in 2020. This number was down from prior years, likely due to the pandemic. Whether you are being questioned as a suspect in a felony or misdemeanor offense or as someone with information about a crime, it can be anxiety-inducing to face police questioning.
People are often so intimidated by being questioned by the police that everything they know about “the right to remain silent” simply goes out the window. While most of us know that once we have actually been
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Can a Police Officer’s Mistakes Affect Your DUI Outcome?
If you are facing DUI charges, it is normal that you are anxious about the outcome. Could you lose your job? Could you have your driver’s license suspended? Even worse, could you be sentenced to time in jail? While feelings of anxiety and fear are perfectly normal for those facing DUI charges, now might be a good time to remember that police officers are human and make mistakes.
The police officer who arrested you may have made serious errors that could potentially result in the charges being dropped or reduced, or could be used to obtain a more favorable
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