Lafata Law Blog

What Does It Mean When a Crime Is “Aggravated”? If you are charged with an “aggravated” crime, you could be facing some serious consequences. “Aggravated” means made more serious by attendant circumstances. The penalty range may be more than you have bargained for based upon some factor, whether it’s the victim’s age or race, where…

What’s Next? Call a Lawyer. Traffic court may seem like no big deal, but your CDL is your livelihood. CDL can be suspended much easier than a normal license. Two serious moving violations in a 36-month period will result in a CDL being suspended for a minimum of two months. Even if you were driving…

What is a Summary Suspension? A statutory summary suspension is the suspension of driving privileges as a result of a DUI. Once in effect, you cannot legally drive. A summary suspension goes into effect 46 days after the confirmation of a refusal to submit to testing or failure of chemical test. A confirmation does not…

What Does It Mean? Understanding minimum and maximum sentencing ranges for any given charge is critical to determining how to proceed in criminal cases. A knowledgeable lawyer knows this and can help you navigate this confusing but area of the law. Prior to pleading guilty, a judge must admonish you of the consequences of being…

The Warning to Motorist The Warning to Motorist informs a driver suspected of driving under the influence of the consequences to their driving privileges for refusing field sobriety testing or submitting to testing and testing above the legal limit. Prior to requesting a driver to submit to testing during a DUI investigation, the warning to…

Petition to Revoke Sentence You’ve already plead guilty and been sentenced to probation. You are prohibited from taking any controlled substances and are required to submit to random drug testing. You were notified by your probation officer that you tested positive, and they are sending your case back to court to inform the judge of…

It’s Legal…Right? Even though it is legal for adults to possess regulated amounts of cannabis, smoking “adult-use” cannabis (rather than medical cannabis) in your car is illegal under 625 ILCS 5/11-502.15. Additionally, the odor of cannabis coming from your vehicle allows a police officer to search your car for the presence of cannabis or other…

Specialty Courts The law is always evolving. It is important to have a lawyer that follows the changes in the law, especially when the changes are designed to benefit the accused. Addiction is a medical disease recognized by the DSM5. Many counties in the Chicago land area have created specialty courts including first offender drug…

Should I Just Plead Guilty? If you are charged with a criminal offense, it is imperative that you consult with a lawyer. You need to discuss the facts of your case and the potential consequences you will face. A criminal conviction can have serious consequences related to your ability to secure employment, housing, financial aid,…

A Good Attorney Can Help You Keep Your License When you get arrested for driving under the influence your license will automatically become suspended 46 days after confirmation of your summary suspension. That’s to say, you will lose your driving privileges unless you talk to an attorney quickly. Don’t worry, the lawyers at Lafata Law…