Methamphetamine is an addictive drug that is a substantial public health risk. More than that, meth is also a drug that can be made of many household items, making it accessible to everyone. Its components are relatively simple, but its creation is dangerous and complicated and can lead to significant safety threats, including chemical burns, explosions, fires, and other injuries. Even “amateur” labs utilizing relatively simple methodology can lead to participants being convicted with felony drug offenses. Operating a meth lab is a serious offense in Illinois and involvement in such operations can have a substantial effect on your future.

Methamphetamine in Illinois

A recent news story summarized the 100-plus arrests made in Illinois’ own St. Clair County. Along with drugs come guns, violent criminals, violent offenses, and disputes over money, domain and power. Possession, use, and distribution of methamphetamine, while in itself a crime, may also lead to charges such as:

Illinois is well-known for some of the strictest gun-control regimes in the country. Being the last state in the U.S. to enact concealed carry laws created a fear of widespread weapon proliferation and increased street violence. Officials issued nearly 100,000 permits in 2014, after a thorough investigation of applicants’ histories and fingerprint scans. Though critics question the correlation between concealed carry rights and decreasing violent crime rates in Illinois, the latter has been proven true in 2014. Whether coincidence or not, crime rates are dropping throughout Illinois.

Concealed Carry Permits

One reason to question the connection between concealed carry rights and lower crime rates is due to the fact that many criminals do not lawfully possess their weapons in the first place. One Illinois police sergeant pointed out that “[w]hen you’re talking concealed-carry, it’s mostly your law-abiding citizens, who don’t cause problems anyway.” Thus, many of the weapons involved in investigated crimes are either borrowed, stolen, or from a black market, making tracking the ownership of the weapon difficult if not impossible.

Traditional bullying seems to have taken on a new meaning in the digital age. What used to consist of hitting, punching, teasing, or taunting, has in recent years led to digital abuse over online platforms that has led to the suicides of many troubled adolescents. The federal government has had significant difficulty in prosecuting and investigating claims of cyberbullying, that is, to harass, stalk, embarrass, manipulate, or taunt others via electronic means such as through computers, cellphones, or other devices. Such communication may be sexual in nature, may involve explicit photographs, or may eventually lead to blackmail.

This difficulty in prosecuting cyberbullying cases is due to a variety of factors. It can be difficult to determine a single cause that led to a suicide. With third-party parents, other youth, and online predators playing a role, it can be very difficult to pinpoint who is using a specific computer at a specific time, especially if multiple members of a household share a computer. Some think children are being too sensitive; others blame the parents for failing to supervise their children’s online activity. Regardless of where we wish to place the blame, everyone seems to agree that someone should be responsible when a child’s life ends after being endlessly harassed.

Illinois Makes an Effort to Combat Cyberbullying Regardless of the difficulty of enforcing such laws at the federal level, many states have taken on measures to prevent, what many consider, to be a cyberbullying epidemic. Illinois has now joined the ranks of the vast majority of states implementing anti-cyberbullying laws, though as many states, this law will only target one area of cyberbullying. Revenge Porn One particularly vicious form of cyberbullying involves disseminating personal or sexual photographs to unapproved third parties. This is an all-too-common occurrence among youth, and such proliferation of private images has been attributed to several adolescent suicides. Recipients of personal photographs may blackmail or threaten victims to give additional, more revealing pictures. The psychological pressures an adolescent may face with the fear of photo distribution can lead to tragic consequences. The New Laws The new Illinois law specifically targets this type of “revenge porn,” making distribution of sexual images without the photographed individual’s consent a Class 4 felony. Other related measures include allowing educators more freedoms in punishing children caught cyberbullying at school, whether on their personal or school-owned electronic devices. Many cyberbullying cases are simply charged as basic harassment claims, which are pre-existing laws at both the federal and state level. Illinois Cybercrime Criminal Defense Attorneys Cybercrimes of any nature are particularly serious, given that they are often charged federally. Even at the state level, a cybercrime of a sexual nature may lead to permanent consequences that may affect your ability your family, your work, your finances, and your social status. Prosecutors throughout the country have been creative with finding ways to punish cyberbullies; hiring an experienced DuPage County Internet sex crime lawyer is the best way to combat these tactics. At Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C., we understand the sensitive nature of these cases and what is on the line for your future. If you have stepped over boundaries on the Internet, you may be in trouble. Contact our DuPage, Cook, Kane, or Will County criminal defense law offices at 630-472-9700 to learn more about your legal rights today.

Mere possession of weapons can have a detrimental effect on your future if you are one of the thousands of individuals that is not permitted to carry a weapon under the law. While everyone has a right to bear arms, this right may be taken away or limited by the government if you are a convicted felon, faced domestic violence charges, are mentally incompetent, or have other previous offenses the government deems makes you unfit to carry freely.

Limitations on Carrying Generally

Consider also that such restrictions mean you cannot carry any enumerated weapon under the law, legal or illegal. If you were carrying unlawful weapons before, these restrictions do not mean now you can only carry lawful ones. Illinois places restrictions on items such as automatic firearms, silencers, or short-barreled shotguns generally. Just because someone is willing to sell you a weapon does not mean you are allowed to possess it, even if it is something a non-felon could lawfully own.

“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy trial and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.” The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution affords this fundamental right that is binding on all 50 states. Note that the specific language applies to criminal offenses, and not civil offenses.

Despite this clear language, most jurisdictions also offer protections in civil cases as well. A hot topic in both state and federal courts attempts to fill in what the Constitution does not say about the jury—how many members must be on each jury. In Illinois, a criminal defendant is afforded the right to a jury trial in both misdemeanor and felony criminal matters, but the number of jurors the defendant is entitled to is in no way set in stone.

Criminal Jury Trial Rights in Illinois