Section Newsletters

Articles From Steve Baker

Case summaries By Lori G. Levin, Steve Baker, David B. Franks, Hon. Michael P. McCuskey, Sandra Blake, George G. Leynaud, & Judith Lozier Criminal Justice, May 2009 Recent cases of interest to criminal law attorneys.
Truth-In-Sentencing Guide By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, April 2009 730 ILCS 5/3-6-3(a)(2)
Case summaries By Hon. Richard D. Russo, Hon. Daniel B. Shanes, Steve Baker, & Richard S. Gutoff Criminal Justice, January 2009 Recent cases of interest to criminal law attorneys.
Legislation—Passed Bills, Part II By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, January 2009 Recent legislation of interest to criminal law attorneys.
Legislation—Passed Bills, Part I By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, December 2008 Includes legislation from 2007 with a 6-1-08 effective date.
Legal issues to be aware of in representing drivers under age 21 By Steve Baker Traffic Laws and Courts, September 2008 Two traffic “convictions” within any two year period results in a 3-month license suspension (as opposed to 3 convictions in one year for an adult). 625 ILCS 5/6-206 (a) 36.
Legislation-Passed bills By Steve Baker Child Law, June 2008 The following are summaries of new legislation in Illinois affecting the practice of criminal law. As these are summaries only, the Public Act should be reviewed before reliance.
Legislation-Passed bills By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, June 2008 The following are summaries of new legislation in Illinois affecting the practice of criminal law. As these are summaries only, the Public Act should be reviewed before reliance.
Legislation-Passed bills By Steve Baker Child Law, May 2008 The following are summaries of new legislation in Illinois affecting the practice of criminal law. As these are summaries only, the Public Act itself should be reviewed before reliance.
Legislation-Passed bills Part 1: By Attorney Steve Baker Criminal Justice, May 2008 The following are summaries of new legislation in Illinois affecting the practice of criminal law.  
New legislation By Steve Baker Traffic Laws and Courts, February 2008 Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that in cases involving reckless homicide in which the defendant unintentionally kills an individual while driving in a posted school zone or in a construction or maintenance zone, the trier of fact may infer that the defendant’s actions were performed recklessly where he or she was also either driving at a speed of more that 20 miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit or violation the DUI provisions of the Illinois Vehicle code.
Child law legislation By Steve Baker Child Law, June 2007 Legislation of interest to child law practitioners.
Legislation—Passed bills part 2: Code of Corrections, crime victims, domestic violence, and juvenile law By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, December 2006 The following are summaries of new legislation in Illinois affecting the practice of criminal law. As these are summaries only, the Public Act itself should be reviewed before reliance.
2006 Legislation Update: Juvenile Law (Abuse & Delinquency) By Steve Baker Child Law, September 2006 Summary: Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act relating to the Redeploy Illinois Program. Provides that for any county or group of counties with a decrease of juvenile commitments of at least 25 percent, based on the average reductions of the prior three years, which are chosen to participate or continue as pilot sites, the Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board has the authority to reduce the required percentage of future commitments to achieve the purpose of the Program.
Legislation—Passed bills part 1: New offenses, amendments to existing offenses, criminal procedure, and drug crimes By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, September 2006 The following are summaries of new legislation in Illinois affecting the practice of criminal law.
Legislation—Passed bills part 2: Domestic violence, drug crimes, firearms, sex offenders, conspiracy By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, December 2005 As these are only summaries of new legislation, the Public Act itself should be reviewed before reliance.
Legislation-Passed bills part 1: New offenses, amendments to existing offenses, and criminal procedure By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, September 2005 As these are summaries only, the Public Act itself should be reviewed before reliance. Engrossed bills passed one House; enrolled bills passed both Houses.
Criminal/Traffic/Juvenile legislation 2004-All bills acted upon by Governor: Part 2 By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, May 2005 This list also includes dead bills of interest, Supreme Court Rule changes and Administrative Rule changes of note.
Criminal/Traffic/Juvenile legislation 2004-All bills acted upon by Governor: Part 1 By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, April 2005 This list also includes dead bills of interest, Supreme Court Rule changes and Administrative Rule changes of note.
Mandatory pre-sentence sex offender evaluation By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, June 2004 The enactment of P.A. 93-0616, effective Jan. 1, 2004, has prompted a vigorous discussion within the legal community.
2003 significant criminal legislation By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, December 2003 NOTE: • 15-20-25 to life info: HB5652 from the 92d G.A. failed to pass in the December 2002 veto session
Enacted criminal legislation 2002: Part II By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, May 2003 Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Provides that local liquor commissioners have the duty to report to the Secretary of State any conviction for a violation of the Act's provision, or a similar provision of a local ordinance, prohibiting a person under 21 from purchasing, accepting, possessing, or consuming alcoholic liquor and prohibiting the transfer or alternation of identification cards, the use of the identification card of another or a false or forged identification card, or the use of false information to obtain an identification card. 
Enacted criminal legislation 2002: Part One By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, February 2003 Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of conspiracy against civil rights.
Six-person juries in criminal cases By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, December 2002 The subject of six-person juries has recently come up in DuPage County. Several local private attorneys choose to utilize them.
Active bills—92nd General Assembly—2001 By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, July 2001 HB 10 Summary: IVC one-ear headset use authorized.
Impact of plea of guilty on civil proceedings By Mark Rouleau & Steve Baker Criminal Justice, April 2001 A plea is an admission of a party opponent. It is not conclusive in the civil litigation, however it is like a person saying at the time of the collision; "I'm sorry, I ran the red light."
Public defender malpractice liability—civil immunity: good, bad or just Cook County By Jack Rimland & Steve Baker Criminal Justice, April 2001 Background: In Johnson v. Halloran, et. al1 the Illinois Supreme Court extinguished the long held assumption that Public Defenders may be accused of malpractice in the context of ARDC complaints or post-conviction petitions [pro-se post-trial motion/motion to withdraw guilty pleas included], but not a civil suit for malpractice.
Single subject rule challenges a compendium By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, September 2000 In recent years we have heard of repeated challenges to the use of "Christmas tree bills" by the Legislature.
Passed bills*—91st General Assembly—2000 By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, June 2000 SB 730 Summary: Representation by counsel. In a juvenile proceeding, a minor who was under 13 years of age at the time of the commission of an act that if committed by an adult would be a violation of section 9-1, 9-1.2, 9-2, 9-2.1, 9-3, 9-3.2, 9-3.3, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15, or 12-16 of the Criminal Code of 1961 must be represented by counsel during the entire custodial interrogation of the minor.
Single subject rule challenges By Steve Baker Criminal Justice, April 2000 Bills, except bills for appropriations and for the codification, revision or rearrangement of laws, shall be confined to one subject. Ill. Const. 1970, Art. IV, sec. 8(d).

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