Posted on August 28, 2024 in Criminal Defense

Counterfeiting is a serious crime that involves the creation or distribution of fake items, such as currency, documents, or goods, with the intent to trick others into thinking they are real. These actions are not only illegal but can also lead to severe consequences, especially when federal laws are violated.

If you or someone you know is facing state or federal counterfeit criminal charges, it is crucial to get help from an attorney as soon as possible. Contacting a knowledgeable Naperville, IL federal criminal defense attorney is the first step in protecting your rights and building a strong defense against these charges.

What Behaviors Can Lead to Counterfeiting Charges?

Counterfeiting covers a wide range of activities that can lead to criminal charges. Some of the behaviors that can result in counterfeiting charges include:

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 Posted on August 21, 2024 in Criminal Defense

In 2010, Illinois passed a new law called the Home Repair Fraud Act that is intended to work hand-in-hand with the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act to help homeowners targeted by allegedly dishonest contractors. Consumers who say they paid for poor-quality work, work they never received, or work that was only partly completed can pursue action against the responsible person and that person can face serious penalties. If you are a contractor, repairman, tiler, concrete layer, or any other home repair professional and are accused of unfair or illegal behavior, hire an Illinois criminal defense attorney right away.

What is the Home Repair Fraud Act? 

The Home Repair Fraud Act covers a wide variety of the most common contractor and home repair practices that are considered fraudulent or unfair. People violate the Act and engage in home repair fraud when they knowingly enter into a contract or agreement, whether orally or in writing, and:

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 Posted on August 15, 2024 in Sex Offenses

AI technology is developing and spreading fast. There are so many computer-generated images out there that it can be hard at times to know what is authentic and what is not. A fairly recent trend involves using "deepfakes" to create pornographic content. That means that a real person’s voice and face are manipulated to seem like they are engaged in sexually explicit behavior when they are not.

With questions arising about consent, privacy, and freedom of expression, emerging laws are criminalizing some of these practices. If you use AI technology to produce videos and images, make sure to contact a knowledgeable Naperville, IL criminal defense attorney who can explain developing laws and help you avoid accidentally violating them.

What is the DEFIANCE Act?

A fairly new act has been introduced to regulate how manipulated images, or deepfakes, are used in pornographic content. Known as the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024, or the DEFIANCE Act, this piece of legislation is focused on criminalizing the production, distribution, and possession of deepfake pornography if the person depicted in it has not given their consent for their likeness to be used in it.

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 Posted on August 07, 2024 in Criminal Defense

Rights groups in Illinois say that domestic violence deaths increased more than 110 percent in 2023 compared to 2022 and that other types of domestic violence are increasing as well. In response, rights groups are pushing a law that would allow a judge to issue an Order of Protection in response to domestic violence accusations that come along with a search warrant, giving police officers four days to search someone’s house and take that person’s weapons. In light of a recent Supreme Court decision allowing similar laws to be upheld, this law, if passed, would further restrict gun ownership in addition to the other restrictions people under Orders of Protection commonly deal with.

If you are served with a protective order in response to accusations of domestic violence, you should have an Illinois criminal defense attorney on your side as soon as possible. Even if you think you may get in even bigger trouble if you fight the charges against you, having an attorney in your corner fighting for your rights could give you more options than you realize.

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 Posted on July 31, 2024 in Juvenile Offenses

A conviction and even an accusation of juvenile crimes can impact a minor for the rest of his or her life. While some crimes that juveniles commit may be nothing more than petty offenses, other crimes can result in major legal consequences and convictions on your child’s record. An experienced Illinois juvenile criminal defense attorney can help you understand the next steps if your child has been charged with a crime.

Common Juvenile Crimes

It is important to note that juvenile crimes are those committed by individuals under the age of 18, even though a minor under 18 can potentially be tried as an adult for particularly severe crimes.

The most common types of crimes that juveniles are arrested for in Illinois include the following:

• Theft – This includes shoplifting, also known as retail theft, and theft crimes can easily increase in severity from misdemeanors to felonies if the stolen property is valuable or the juvenile used force or a weapon while committing the crime.

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 Posted on July 29, 2024 in Criminal Defense

While checks are not often used in today’s modern world, people still pay for items with checks from time to time. The practice of writing a bad check, meaning one that is written when there are insufficient funds in an account or a bank account is closed, can be considered a crime in Illinois. Depending on the value of the check, serious legal consequences like jail time may apply.

If you are facing charges after writing a bad check, you will need the assistance of a skilled Illinois deceptive practices defense attorney.

Bad Checks and Deceptive Practices – What to Know

Writing a bad check may happen by accident sometimes, but when a person knowingly writes bad checks with the intent to avoid paying for items, he or she may be found guilty of deceptive practices. In Illinois, deceptive practices are typically considered a type of white-collar crime, which is one that is done for financial gain, and you can face criminal charges for writing bad checks.

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 Posted on July 20, 2024 in Drug Offenses

While marijuana is legal in Illinois for both recreational and medical purposes as of 2020, growing marijuana around your home may still lead to legal consequences. Depending on how much marijuana you are growing and whether or not you have a medical cannabis card, you may face serious penalties for growing marijuana in Illinois.

An experienced Illinois marijuana criminal offense lawyer can help you understand your rights if you are facing charges for growing marijuana around your home or apartment.

Growing Marijuana in Illinois – What is Legal?

In Illinois, people who have a medical cannabis card and are 21 years old or older can grow marijuana on their property. With a valid card, you can grow up to five marijuana plants that are five inches or taller within your home or apartment, provided you keep the plants in a locked room and out of sight of the public.

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 Posted on July 08, 2024 in Criminal Defense

Probation is a common penalty for people who have committed low-level crimes to remain under the supervision of the criminal justice system in Illinois without physically being in prison. For many, probation is preferable to time spent behind bars, but that does not mean you can do whatever you want while on probation. In fact, there are often very strict terms and conditions you must follow during probation.

Violating your probation can lead to serious legal consequences, and you will need a skilled Illinois probation violation defense lawyer if you are facing probation violation charges.

Common Probation Conditions

When you are placed on probation, you face a certain set of conditions that you must adhere to. These conditions are often tailored to the nature of the crime committed, and you may be required to follow special probation terms in addition to the following basic conditions of probation.

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 Posted on June 29, 2024 in Criminal Defense

For many individuals, being pulled over by a police officer for a traffic stop is a tense situation. It can be hard to know how to act and what to say when a police officer pulls you over, and this is only made worse if a routine traffic stop turns into an arrest for a serious violation. If you are pulled over by Illinois police, it is important to understand your legal rights. An experienced Illinois traffic violations defense attorney can further answer your questions.

How to Act During an Illinois Traffic Stop

When you are pulled over by law enforcement, you should use the following tips for how to act during a traffic stop. These tips can keep you safe and ensure that you do not accidentally offer up information that could potentially be used against you.

During an Illinois traffic stop, you should:

• Pull over as soon as possible into a safe area; if there is no safe stopping area immediately available, slow down and put your blinker on to indicate to the law enforcement officer that you will be stopping.

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 Posted on June 22, 2024 in Drug Offenses

Drug crimes in Illinois are serious, and the penalties for a drug crime are greatly increased if the crime becomes a federal matter. Even if state police make an arrest in Illinois for a drug crime, depending on the circumstances of the crime, it may still end up in federal courts.

If you are facing federal drug crime charges, it is important to speak with a skilled Illinois federal drug crimes defense attorney as soon as possible to learn about your options.

What to Know About Federal Drug Crimes

Several situations can result in an Illinois drug crime becoming a federal crime. In general, drug crimes become federal offenses when they violate federal law. Most notably, Illinois drug crimes can become federal drug crimes when they cross state lines, or when they directly violate the Controlled Substances Act.

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