Crime Rate Drops Nationwide Except In 3 Illinois Towns

Three major Illinois cities are the exception to the national trend of dropping crime rates.  Nationwide, there was a drop of 5.5 percent drop in the number of violent crimes according to figures released by the FBI.  The nationwide drop in property crimes was 2.8 percent.  Violent crime in Chicago dropped 11 percent from 2009 to 2010.  Property crimes dropped by less than one percent.  However, Rockford, Joliet and Elgin all reported significant increases in violent crimes and increases in property crimes.  Rockford had a 10 percent increase in violent crimes, Joliet 9 percent and Elgin 8 percent.  Rockford had the highest rate of violent crime per capita, with 14 violent crimes occurring for every 1,000 residents.  And for every thousand residents, Rockford had 50 property crimes.  Chicago had 42 property crimes per 1,000 residents.  And even in Chicago, even though violent crimes dropped by 11 percent, there were still 10 violent crimes for every 1,000 residents.  And the number of burglaries, robberies and thefts remained the same in Chicago even though the number of auto thefts increased by 23 percent.  The biggest decline in violent crimes was in Aurora which reported a drop of 15 percent, with only 3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.  Violent crimes include murder, robbery and assault.  The FBI did not report these figures for most Illinois cities in 2009 and 2010 because most Illinois towns failed to meet the FBI's reporting standards.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Illinois Withdraws From Federal Immigration Programs

Last week, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security informing them that the State of Illinois is formally withdrawing from the Secure Communities program, a federal deportation program that seeks to deport hardened criminals but is also used to deport illegal immigrants arrested for misdemeanor crimes.  Governor Quinn pointed out that nearly one third of illegal immigrants deported in Illinois were never convicted of any crime.  Quinn originally had stopped the state of Illinois from participating in the program since November because he was concerned about its effectiveness.  He had asked that the Department of Homeland Security provide proof that the program can be implemented effectively and sent the letter withdrawing after he said he was not satisfied that the flaws could be fixed.  At the same time, the Illinois Senate passed a local DREAM Act bill that would provide for privately funded scholarships and other financial assistance to students who were brought to the United States illegally.  A federal DREAM Act failed to pass in Congress.  The state measure now needs to be passed by the House of Representatives and be signed into law by Governor Quinn.  Governor Quinn has indicated that he would support such a measure.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Chicago Crime Rate Continues to Drop

Chicago's crime rate continued to decline in April.  This decline marks the 28th consecutive monthly decline, according to the Chicago Police Department.  Last year's murder rate was the lowest in Chicago since 1965.  The current figures released by the Chicago Police Department indicate that the murder rate in 2011 may be even lower than last year.  There have been 17 fewer murders so far this year than during the same period of time in 2010.  This represents a decline of 14.2 percent from 2010.  In addition, Aggravated Batteries were down 17.8 percent, Aggravated Assaults declined by about the same percentage and Robberies and Sexual Assaults also decreased sharply.  All property crimes were lower, except for vehicle thefts which actually increased by 20 percent.  

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Supreme Court Rules Against Man Wrongly Jailed For 18 Years

On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court ruled against a man who had won a $14 jury verdict against New Orleans prosecutors after he spent 14 years on Death Row for a murder that he was convicted of after prosecutors failed to disclose evidence that proved his innocence.  John Thompson was convicted of murder and sentenced to death.  Prosecutors first tried him for an armed robbery as a way to keep Thompson from taking the stand in his murder case and then to use the armed robbery conviction as a way of having the death penalty imposed.  After he was sentenced to death, a private investigator working for Thompson's attorneys discovered that a blood test conducted in the armed robbery case showed that Thompson did not commit the armed robbery.  The prosecutors admitted that they had intentionally withheld that blood evidence from Thompson's attorneys.  As a result, the armed robbery was dismissed and he was granted a new trial on the murder case.  New evidence emerged at the murder trial and he was found not guilty of the murder.  Thompson sued the district attorney's office and a jury awarded him $14 million.  Thompson spent a total of 18 years in prison, 14 of them on death row.  The Supreme Court overturned the jury verdict and upheld the general immunity that prosecutors have from civil liability.  The decision came down along partisan idealogical lines with the 5 conservative justices winning out.  Apparently, the justices found that a prosecutor cannot be sued for not ensuring that those who work for him were properly trained and followed the law.

The case is Connick v. Thompson.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Miranda Case Involving Juveniles

Last week, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a Miranda case that could have sweeping implications for young suspects who are interrogated by the police.  The question presented is whether children, by their very nature, are more likely than an adult to feel restrained when being interrogated and should therefore be more likely to be given their Miranda warnings.  The case involves a 13 year old child who was suspected of some residential burglaries in Chapel Hill North Carolina.  A juvenile police detective went to the child's school, pulled the child out of his class and questioned him a a school conference room in the presence of four adults.  The door to the conference room was closed, but not locked, and the juvenile was never read his Miranda rights.  He ended up confessing to the burglaries and was later charged with the crimes.  Under current law, suspects have to be read their Miranda rights if they are in custody.  Whether someone is in custody is determined by looking at whether a "reasonable person" would feel free to leave.  The Plaintiffs in this case are asking that the juveniles age be taken into consideration when determining whether Miranda rights should be read to them.

A decision on this case is expected to be released later this year.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Death Penalty Case Involving Missed Deadline

On Monday the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal of a man who is sitting on death row in Alabama.  Cory Maples was convicted of murder and sentenced to death.  He believes that his attorneys made a mistake at his trial which resulted in his conviction for murder.  Maples appealed his conviction claiming ineffective assistance of counsel.  However, his lawyers failed to file an appeal of that decision within the 42 day deadline.  As a result, the Alabama courts refused to hear the appeal from Maples.  The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also said that since his lawyers missed the 42 day deadline, Maples cannot appeal his conviction and cannot stop his execution.

The United States Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments later this year.

The case is Maples v. Thomas, 10-63.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

New Body Scanners For Cook County Jail

Last week, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced that Cook County Jail will be the first correctional facility in the United States to use the RadPRO SecurPASS scanning machines.  Cook County has purchased 4 of these machines at a cost of $940,500.  The machines are currently located in the jail's two maximum-security buildings and in both the men's and women's receiving rooms where inmates are first processed when they are brought to the jail.  Currently, the jail uses the L-3 detectors that are used at airports.  The new devices allows officers to better detect contraband smuggled in through body cavities.  If will be especially helpful in detecting drugs being smuggled into the jail.  This new technology will make the need to conduct strip searches less likely.  This is important because in 2006 a class action lawsuit was filed concerning strip searches in the jail.  In November of 2010, that lawsuit was settled for $55.3 million.  Roughly 250,000 people were compensated in the class action lawsuit.  In 2008 a court ruled that the jail's policy of conducting strip searches of inmates who were being released as being improper and unconstitutional.  Dart stated that strip searches will still be conducted when officers feel they have probable cause to proceed with such searches.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.