Monthly Archives: February 2014

Major Drug Seizures in Chicago Raise Increased Trafficking Fears

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Drug Crimes on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Recently, law enforcement authorities in Chicago seized major quantities of crystal methamphetamine – an illegal rock-like drug. According to court records, the first seizure occurred after an informant told the Drug Enforcement Agency and Chicago investigators that he had been approached about accepting delivery of a shipment of crystal meth. Based on this information, the police seized the shipment of 17 pounds of the drug.Continue reading →

Categories : Drug Crimes

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney on Monday, August 6, 2012 When the police stop the driver of a vehicle on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the police officer will generally ask the driver to perform some tests, know as field sobriety tests. These tests are designed to allow an officer to detect drivers who are intoxicated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) helped develop three standardized field sobriety tests (SFST) in the 1980s. NHTSA created this standardization toContinue reading →

Categories : DUI

Chicago City Council Lowers Penalties for Possession of Marijuana

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Drug Possession on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 In late June 2012, the Chicago City Council voted 43-3 to approve a city ordinance that changes the possession of small amounts of marijuana from a crime punishable by arrest to one punishable by a ticket. Sponsored by Alderman Danny Solis, the ordinance will subject people in possession of 15 grams of marijuana or less to a fine of between $250 and $500. According toContinue reading →

Categories : Drug Possession

Wrongful Convictions: Is Any Number Acceptable?

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Expunging a Criminal History on Thursday, June 14, 2012 The justice system in Illinois and throughout the nation is designed to punish those who have broken the law. Unfortunately, the system does not always work perfectly. Too many people end up falsely convicted of crimes – such as sex crimes – they never committed, dealing with a penalty they do not deserve. Since 1989, almost 900 overturned convictions have been registered with the NationalContinue reading →

Categories : Sentence and Punishment

Illinois Poised to Stiffen Offender Registry

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Sexual Assault on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 Currently, Illinois has some of the harshest sex registration penalties in the country. In an effort to avoid jail time, many accept plea agreements which shorten the time their names will appear on the sex offender registry. However, even with these stiff penalties in place, officials in the Senate are attempting to extend the required registration time to 15 years instead of 10, which isContinue reading →

Categories : Sex Crimes

Illinois Lawmakers to Consider Bill to Help Ex-Convicts

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Expunging a Criminal Historyon Tuesday, April 3, 2012 While unemployment is still pervasive among while collar job seekers, it is considerably worse for those with criminal records. In a story highlighted by the Chicago Reporter, applicants with the most common felony record (Class 2 drug possession) were universally being denied jobs because of their criminal backgrounds. It was as if the records themselves were creating insurmountable barriers to housing, economic opportunities, employmentContinue reading →

Categories : Uncategorized

Illinois Seeks to Strengthen Synthetic Drug Laws

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Drug Possession on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 The use of synthetic drugs – substances that may have the same effects on the body as drugs like marijuana and cocaine – is on the rise. Part of the reason for the popularity of synthetic drugs is that they are easy to obtain since they are legal products that have legitimate household uses. Some legal products used as synthetic drugs include bath salts, potpourriContinue reading →

Categories : Drug Possession

Illinois Legislature Considers Ban of Cellphones While Driving

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Illinois Traffic Laws on Thursday, February 16, 2012 If Illinois lawmakers have their way, drivers will soon have to put away their cellphones when driving. Having banned texting while driving two years ago, the Illinois legislature has proposed legislation that would, in most cases, ban the use of cellphones while driving. Reason for Cellphone Ban This legislation is being proposed primarily for safety reasons. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, distractionsContinue reading →

Categories : Illinois Traffic Laws

U.S. Supreme Court Determines GPS Trackers are Unreasonable Searches

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Drug Possession on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court further brought criminal law into the digital age by deciding whether the use of a GPS tracking system by police without a warrant was considered an “unreasonable search” under the Fourth Amendment, and thus unconstitutional – which they decided in the affirmative. The decision will undoubtedly have implications for how police gather evidence for the purpose of bringing criminal charges throughoutContinue reading →

Categories : Criminal Defense Law

US Supreme Court Hears Double Jeopardy Arguments

On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in Felonies on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 Almost everyone in the US knows what “double jeopardy” is: namely, that once a jury acquits you of a crime, the State cannot bring you back to trial on the same charges. The concept of double jeopardy is a staple in countless Hollywood movies, and is mentioned in the media almost daily. However, it is important to note that the prohibition on double jeopardy only appliesContinue reading →

Categories : Sentence and Punishment