New and Existing Laws You Should Know

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Yesterday, I was with a client waiting for court and approached by a prospective client who had been arrested for possessing needles. The charge was possession of drug paraphernalia. What was interesting is that my first client has no idea that such a charge existed; i.e. that it was illegal to possess needles without a prescription despite not having any controlled substance in your possession. So our office started discussing some existing and newly created laws that the average citizen has no idea exist! Some of these are a bit odd, others are pretty common sense.

1. Leaving children home alone- In Illinois it is a crime to leave a minor child home alone without a parent or caretaker’s supervision. In Illinois any child under the age of 14 is considered a minor. Many parents don’t realize that this law is in place and therefore will leave minor children at home unattended because they have to work. Illinois is among the very few states that have an age requirement for leaving a child home alone. Depending on the severity of the case, the child can be removed from the home and the parent can be charged with neglect. This law is an important one because it involves children’s well being and safety.

2. Boating under the influence- As of January 1st of this year, Illinois put into effect laws regarding boating under the influence and boating safety. Anyone who is boating under the influence will now have their boat impounded. Also, anyone born after 1998 will have to take a boating course and receive a certificate in order to operate any boat on the waters of Illinois. Boaters also must fly an orange flag if they are towing skiers or tubers or if they have people swimming off of the boat. Illinois waters do have their own police and they will issue fines and citations for any violations of these laws.

3. Bets and wagers- Often times friends will make bets between each other whether its on horse racing, boxing matches or other highly anticipated sporting events. But, in Illinois it is illegal to place a bet or wager of any kind and if convicted carries sentencing up to one year in prison and a fine of $2,500. If the bets and wagers exceed $2,000 between those involved, then the person can also be charged with bookkeeping which can be a fine up to $25,000 and 3-5 years in prison. This practice is very common, especially around the Super Bowl and March Madness among other major sporting events. Many people participate in these sorts of small bets without realizing that they are illegal. Make sure to know the rules and laws regarding placing bets and wagers before you place them.

4. Minor in possession of alcohol– The legal limit for driving under the influence for those of the legal age to drink is .08. If a PBT test shows that your blood alcohol content exceeds this amount you will be issued a DUI. But, many people don’t realize that this limit does not include persons under the legal age to drink. This is due to the “no tolerance” policy Illinois has in place for persons under 21 who drive under the influence or are in possession of alcohol. If a person under 21 is pulled over for a suspected DUI and their blood alcohol content is above 0.00%, this will result in a DUI. This is because the law requires that possession of alcohol includes alcohol that has been drank by the minor and is in their system. Recently, we had a case here at the offices involving a minor who during opening day for baseball had drank a beer and did have a BAC of .006. This person was charged with possession of alcohol even though there was no alcohol present at the time. The case was dismissed. If you are under 21 and have been issued a DUI, don’t hesitate to contact us here at LauraLaw for assistance.

5. Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Act and Drug Paraphernalia Control Act– In Illinois it is illegal to possess hypodermic syringes or needles that are used to inject controlled substances. These needles are considered drug paraphernalia. A person may purchase needles legally from a pharmacy if they are over the age of 18 and meet certain qualifications which are laid out in the Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Act.

6. Scott’s Law– Another important law in Illinois is Scott’s law. This law requires vehicles to not only slow down but if available move to another lane when approaching stationary emergency vehicles that are responding to accident sites. This law also increases the penalties for injuring public safety and service people at roadside emergency areas. This law is in place for Officer Scott Gillen, who after responding to the scene of an accident was killed by a passing motorist in 2000. You can be fined up to $10,000 and lose your license for two years. Always use caution near emergency vehicles on highways and near construction zones.

And under the category of offenses you didn’t know were jailable…

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7.Connecting to secure Wi-Fi networks – With the internet becoming something much of the world cannot live without, it only makes sense that more laws are being made regarding internet safety. Most people use the internet at least once a day to complete their daily routines. Whether it’s checking email or scrolling social media, the internet plays an important role in many people’s lives. Many times our internet on our phones or laptops doesn’t work properly or doesn’t connect fast enough so we connect to the closest Wi-Fi network we can find in our area without thinking twice about it. This can be a neighbor’s Wi-Fi network or even the coffee shop down the road. Unfortunately connecting to someone else’s Wi-Fi without permission is a crime. One needs permission from the person who controls the network in order to connect to that person’s personal Wi-Fi network. In 2006, an Illinois man was arrested for using someone’s Wi-Fi network without permission and was fined. If charged you could face up to a year in prison as well as fines.

A few months ago we wrote a post about the top ten strange laws actually still on the books. For your amusement check out that post. Always remember to stay up to date on new law passages and know what laws impact your daily life. If you have any questions about any changes in these laws or others don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you.

 


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New and Existing Laws You Should Know — 1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Is That a Law? - Law Offices of Laura J. Morask

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