Traffic Laws & Courts

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Section on Traffic Laws & Courts

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2026 Articles

Become an Illinois Bar Foundation Champion By Jessica R. Durkin January 2026 At least twice a year at ISBA Annual and Midyear Meetings, we are pitched by colleagues and the Illinois Bar Foundation to become a “Champion.” But what is a Champion really, and what’s in it for us?
Case Summary: People v. Erdene, 2025 IL App (1st) 231789-U By Hon. Tamika R. Walker April 2026 When a defendant requests counsel, statements made after the request for counsel may be deemed inadmissible. 
Case Summary: People v. Useni By James Stern January 2026 The People v. Useni decision explores why base allegations are not sufficient to deny bail. 
Criminal Conduct When Intoxicated By Ted Hammel & Kristen Messamore January 2026 A person who is intoxicated (a/k/a voluntarily wasted) is usually responsible for their criminal conduct, but…the Illinois Supreme Court held in 2023 that evidence of voluntary intoxication may be used to attack a state's claim that defendant had requisite specific intent to commit charged offense. 
Defendant’s Disappearing Act Yields No Evidentiary Magic By Adam M. Miller January 2026 A case summary of People v. Talley, 2025 IL App (4th) 250432-U, and practical implications for the timeline of evidence preservation and discovery requests. 
Discovery in Misdemeanor Cases: Why Schmidt Isn’t Enough and the “Legal Begging” for More! By Ted Hammel April 2026 It would be a most judicious amendment to our legal code to formally codify discovery in all misdemeanor cases, ensuring a new transparent and predictable legal process for receiving such information, rather than relying on the present system of selective benevolence and arduous supplication. 
1 comment (Most recent April 28, 2026)
Failure of the Trial Court to Fully Comply With Supreme Court Rule 431 Admonishments Results in New Trial By Alan Downen April 2026 The recent Fourth District case, People v. Dye, serves as a reminder to all that a failure to ensure the jurors are fully admonished, as required by SCR 431, can jeopardize their case: the defense by allowing a juror to be selected that may not give the defendant the benefit of his rights and the prosecution by losing a conviction. 
Generic Speeding and Erosion of the “Mere Accident” Rule By Anthony Cameron April 2026 This article discusses the continuing validity of the mere accident rule as it applies to moving violation prosecutions.
How to Successfully Manage a Remote Law Practice By Marie Sarantakis April 2026 Tips for attorneys who want to run a profitable practice that operates as a virtual, remote office. 
Illinois Cannabis Transportation Law: Concerns and Possible Solutions By Anthony B. Cameron & Evan Bruno January 2026 While Illinois has made itself the sole United States jurisdiction to criminalize the odor of cannabis, the odor-proof container rule arguably does nothing to eliminate public harm, highlighting the necessity for amendment.