Chicago-Area Man Held on $550,000 Bail for DUI Crash

Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin

Joey Chavez, 36, was charged in late March with two counts of felony aggravated DUI for the crash that killed a 10-month old baby and her 5-year-old brother, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The crash occurred late on a Saturday evening after Chavez first was involved in a fender bender on the corner of 45th and Western, and then sped off to hit the SUV with the two children. According to the Sun-Times, he was also “charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failure to give information / render aid, and driving on a suspended license, all misdemeanors.”

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, in 2007, the most recent data available, 12,998 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. This number was a bit lower in 2009, according to alcoholalert.com, at 10,893 deaths. That same year 14 percent of children who died in car crashes were involved in alcohol-related crashes.

The Chicago Police Department implemented a Zero Tolerance drunk driving legislation in 1995. In 2009, the license suspension period in Chicago for a first time DUI offender increased from three to six months—making the penalty for driving under the influence even stiffer in the Chicago area.

Chavez is being held on $550,000 bail for the deaths of the two children. His trial date was pending.

If you or someone you know has been accused of a DUI, hire an experienced Chicago criminal attorney immediately. It’s a complicated process you shouldn’t go through alone, and only dedicated legal help can obtain the best outcome for your situation.

Image courtesy of digitalart

Posted in Criminal Attorney, Criminal News, DUI, DWI Attorney, Speeding Tickets, Traffic | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Illinois Police Officer Charged with Theft

Posted on May 6, 2012 by admin

Dale Hojnacki, 35, an eleven year veteran of the McHenry Police Department, has been charged with one count of theft over $500, a Class 3 felony. Hojancki is accused of stealing the funds from the department between June 23, 2010 and November 22, 2011.

The funds were discovered missing during a routine internal audit. Hojanacki was taken into by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department without incident and his bail was set a $15,000. After the arrest, Hojnacki resigned and was relieved of all his police powers.

McHenry police Chief John Jones issued a statement stressing the department’s zero tolerance policy of this type of behavior. “I find Officer Hojnacki’s actions to be despicable and I will not tolerate any act that makes him no better than the criminals we arrest on a daily basis,” said Jones.

“We hold our officers to the highest of standards allowing the public to trust in those men and women who are sworn to uphold the law,” Jones continued. “Any officer that would tarnish the uniform worn by so many fantastic officers of the McHenry Police Department deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law.”

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, investigators believe Hojnacki acted alone and also said that additional charges may be forthcoming once the total amount missing has been determined. If convicted, Hojnacki faces two to five years in prison and a fine up to $25,000.

Felony convictions can have long-term consequences on a person’s record. If you are charged with a felony in Illinois, consult with an experienced Roselle, Illinois felony defense attorney.

Posted in Criminal Attorney, Criminal News, Retail Theft, White Collar Crime | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Chicago Crackdown on Liquor-Licensed Convenience Stores

Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has faced fire lately for the 60 percent spike in number of homicides in the first three months of 2012, and in an effort to curb criticism in mid-April announced a coordinated crackdown on liquor and convenience stores that “serve as magnets for crime,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The mayor, according to the Sun-Times, told the first graduating class of police recruits since he took office that “these locations often harbor drug dealers and street gang members and become a cancer on the community.”

Until this announcement was made, the city “has relied on consumer complaints before moving to suspend or revoke the licenses of liquor and convenience stores,” according to the Sun-Times. Yet now, the Police Department, and, subsequently, City Hall, doesn’t have to wait for an incident to “trigger enforcement action.” According to the article, “whenever there’s a string of problems, arrests, or a pattern of complaints against an establishment, the city ‘will move to revoke the liquor license and any other city business licenses,’ officials said.”

In March 2011, “after a 3-year grassroots effort,” according to ABC News, the city closed down a liquor store in East Garfield Park that neighbors and activists “say was frequented by drug dealers and prostitutes.” In 1994, a PopCenter.org publication reported that there was indeed a correlation between liquor-licensed convenience stores or taverns and violent crime.

If you have been accused of a crime or are dealing with the repercussions of this new crackdown, contact a dedicated Chicago criminal lawyer today.

Image courtesy of Naypong

Posted in Criminal News, Drug Crimes, New Laws, Violent Crimes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Police Departments Hit Hard by Budget Cuts

Posted on April 30, 2012 by admin

According to the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, “more cities are making private deals to save their finances,” and serious cuts are being made to civil services once thought protected. Motorcycle cops were reintroduced to Illinois highways after a 50-year absence in 2008, according to the CourierPress.com. This year, however, in accordance with flailing a flailing state budget and necessary cuts, the Springfield, IL motorcycle police division was cut, which led to an increase in highway fatalities.

This is a painful addition to an already struggling state police department—two district stations were closed in Chicago in early March as part of these cuts as well. Naperville Mayor George Pradel, a former Naperville police officer, told MotorcycleInsurance.com that he though he had never patrolled from a motorcycle, he had wanted to, and “added that bikes are not only an effective police tool, but attract positive attention to the force.”

In December 2010, the Police Executive Research Forum released a report entitled Is the Economic Downturn Fundamentally Changing How We Police? which stated that “a survey we conduced in September 2010 found that slightly more than half of the responding police departments suffered cuts in their total funding in the 2010 fiscal year, and among those agencies, the average cut was 7 percent.”

Not only does this bode badly for traffic incidents, as in Springfield, this also is bad news for apprehending perpetrators of more serious crimes—and for ensuring that the correct person is accused by an understaffed force. If you or someone you know has been accused of a crime, contact a dedicated Chicago area criminal attorney today.

Image courtesy of dan

Posted in Criminal News, New Laws, Traffic, Violent Crimes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Governor Quinn Grants Clemency to 52

Posted on April 29, 2012 by admin

In early April Illinois Governor Pat Quinn granted 52 people clemency for “crimes that date back decades,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. It was announced that he would first be expunging the records of these accused 52 people, and then in most cases would later grant full pardons. Nearly half of the pardons granted involved theft, 16 involved drugs, and eight “included some kind of violence such as misdemeanor battery.” More than 135 requests for clemency were rejected—yet there is still a backlog of 2,500 requests that “piled up under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich,” who, according to the Sun-Times, rarely took any action on clemency. This is ironic given that the former governor is currently serving his own prison sentence after being convicted of attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat late last year.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, President Barack Obama has received 964 petitions for pardon since he took office in 2009, and has granted 22 of these. Nearly 360 of these petitions were closed without presidential action. Federal pardons date back to the administration of William McKinley.

It doesn’t cost anything to petition for clemency in the state of Illinois. Many consider the process easier than in other states, and begin with the Prison Review Board. The Prison Board, according to their website, “is responsible for making confidential recommendations to the Governor relative to clemency petitions.”

If you or someone you know has been accused of a crime, contact an experienced Chicago criminal lawyer today. We can help to get your life back on track before applying for clemency is even an option.

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono

Posted in Criminal Attorney, Criminal News | Tagged , | Leave a comment