The Illinois approach to child pornography appears in 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1. According to the statute, child pornography is a sexually explicit “visual reproduction or depiction” involving children under 18 years old or the mentally disabled. It is illegal to knowingly create, possess, or disseminate child pornography in Illinois. If the alleged offender knows or has reason to know that the materials involve a minor or mentally disabled individual, then child pornography charges can apply.…

Illinois imposes strict penalties for child pornography crimes. The penalties range from probationable felonies to non-probationable Class X felonies with consecutive sentencing. Illinois employs a broad definition of child pornography, including traditional and electronic media. Specifically, the law mentions film, tape, and photograph as well as other visual depictions in electronic format. In order to qualify as child pornography, the visual depiction must be sexually explicit in nature as well as feature a child under…

Criminal drug trafficking in Illinois is a serious offense. There are a few types of criminal drug trafficking. 720 ILCS 550/5.1 outlines Cannabis Trafficking pursuant to the Cannabis Control Act while 720 ILCS 570/401.1 focuses on criminal drug trafficking pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act. Drug trafficking also applies to possession of a controlled substance or chemical substitute with the intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell. In this context, the term controlled substance includes illegal…

In popular culture, there are countless representations of police dogs sniffs that lead to the discovery of illegal drugs, bombs, or other contraband. The police dogs are almost always portrayed as heroes in these storylines, helping the good buys fight back against the bad guys. There is rarely any exploration of rights and duties involved with police dog sniffs. In practice, there are guidelines in place concerning the legality of and restrictions on dog sniffs.…

720 ILCS 5/11-1.40 defines predatory criminal sexual assault and the corresponding penalties. Pursuant to 720 ILCS 5/11-1.40, predatory criminal sexual assault occurs under specific conditions. First, the perpetrator must be at least 17 years old. Second, the victim must be less than 13 years old. If such a perpetrator makes any sexual contact with such a victim for the purpose of sexual gratification or arousal of either the victim or the defendant, it is…

In December of 2016, recently-elected Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx made an announcement concerning retail theft crimes, according to an article by the Chicago Tribune. From that point forward, the State’s Attorney would prosecute retail theft of less than $1,000 as a misdemeanor crime. The State’s Attorney clarified that retail theft would become a felony crime if the stolen goods are worth more than $1,000. Retail theft would also become a felony if the…