For criminals unschooled in federal case law, robbing someone at an ATM might seem like the perfect opportunity to get easy cash without having to commit the more serious crime of holding up a teller at a bank. If you can catch someone at an ATM with their debit card, you may think you can access account funds without risking more than charges of basic robbery. 

This turns out to be a huge mistake. While most personal robberies do indeed fall under state law, robbing someone at an ATM will likely be treated the same as robbing someone at a bank. While courts are still somewhat divided over this issue, rulings exist that have allowed ATM robberies to fall under federal law and jurisdiction, bringing much harsher penalties. If you have been charged with robbing someone at an ATM in Illinois, make sure you have an excellent criminal defense attorney. 

Not All ATM Robberies Are Bank Robberies

There is some division among federal circuit courts that have heard appeals from people who have been charged with robbing someone at an ATM but who dispute that the robbery was a federal crime. In most of these cases, the circuit courts agreed that the ATM money was in the possession and control of the bank and that forcing a customer to withdraw cash from an ATM was also robbing the bank. 

The truckers and deliverymen and women who ensure the rest of Americans receive their packages and food on time often need to have commercial driver’s licenses (CDL). Getting a CDL requires extensive training in recognition of the serious responsibility that comes with driving vehicles carrying significant weight or dangerous substances. 

Because of this responsibility, Illinois law is highly circumspect when it comes to articulating CDL violations and the consequences such actions involve. If you are a CDL driver or want to be and have questions about license violations or reinstatement, speak with an attorney right away. 

Common CDL Violations

While certain violations, such as driving under the influence, might be more well-known, other violations may surprise you. Just a few common CDL violations include: 

Summer is in full swing in Illinois and kids are out of school. For young adults that just graduated high school or are visiting from college for the summer, the freedom can be downright intoxicating. Add literal intoxicants like THC or alcohol, and the mix can sometimes be disastrous. 

Young adults—young men, in particular—generally still do not have a fully developed frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain responsible for making decisions and accurately predicting the consequences of those decisions. When drugs, alcohol, or peer pressure are added to the inevitable lack of maturity and underdeveloped decision-making skills that come with young age, risk-taking behaviors increase. While most activities are relatively harmless—and even those that are harmful are often escaped without causing serious damage—sometimes the consequences of poor decisions require the help of an Illinois criminal defense attorney. 

Certain Types of Crime Are More Common During Summer Months

While men and women, old and young, are all capable of committing criminal acts, certain types of crime tend to be almost exclusively committed by young men. Immaturity may not be an excuse for committing crimes, but it is at least an explanation for many of them. The most common crimes committed by young adults during the summer months include: 

Even though individuals in Illinois can now purchase marijuana from licensed dealers, grow up to five plants on private property, and own up to 30 grams of marijuana, it is still illegal to privately sell marijuana or own it with the intent to deliver. Illinois has not relaxed its penalties for drug crimes that involve marijuana, and, if anything, prosecutors tend to go after these cases more harshly now. If you have been charged with unlawful marijuana possession, it is important to take these charges seriously and contact a criminal defense attorney right away. 

Why Is Delivering Marijuana Privately Still Illegal? 

Whether you view the restriction of private marijuana sales as a cynical tax grab or the state of Illinois simply protecting its citizens from unsafe substances, private marijuana sales are still illegal. Even selling a small amount to a friend or possessing an otherwise legal amount with the intent to sell it is illegal. 

How Can Police Prove I Was Planning to Sell Marijuana? 

While you may be tempted to simply argue that you owned the marijuana legally without intending to sell it, the strength of the prosecution’s case against you will depend on what other objects were found with the marijuana. It would be difficult to argue that you were sorting marijuana into small plastic bags weighing exactly an eighth of a gram for your own personal use. Having a drug scale, large amounts of cash in your home, or a person testifying that they were going to buy marijuana from you could also bolster the state’s case. 

You pay taxes on your income, taxes on gas to fill up your car, and even taxes on household essentials. So when you get hit with an expensive traffic ticket that you know is going to fill the coffers of the government even further, it is natural to feel angry and frustrated. Aggressive parking and traffic ticket policies are often initiated to meet quotas and, rather than making the streets of Illinois safer, can instead have a highly detrimental impact on your wallet, ability to drive, and even hold down a job.

Fortunately, you can fight traffic violation tickets with the help of an experienced Illinois traffic ticket defense attorney. Doing so can help you save money and avoid some of the serious consequences of a traffic ticket because you accepted the results without fighting back. 

Why Should I Not Just Pay My Traffic Ticket? 

Paying for your ticket may seem like the easiest and fastest route, but paying for the ticket also means accepting the consequences of the behavior you were ticketed for. These include, but are not limited to: