Although it’s been four years since I first wrote about obtaining a FOID card as a convicted felon, I still find myself spending a lot of time explaining to Illinois residents that there’s only one way to qualify for a FOID card when you have a disqualifying conviction: seek reinstatement of your gun rights by petitioning for clemency from the governor.
Read MoreIn recent years, with many people interested in driving for Uber, Lyft, or Amazon, there’s been a sharp increase in the number of people expressing an interest in expunging or sealing their traffic history.
But can a DUI be expunged in Illinois? or can you expounge a DUI in illinois? Read more to find out!
Read MoreTwice a year I submit FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB) to obtain clemency (pardon and sentence commutation) data. Last year there was little to celebrate if you (or someone you know) had a pending pardon petition.
With Gov. J.B Pritzker understandably preoccupied last year (e.g., serving on President Biden’s reelection committee, hosting the Democratic Party Convention, etc.), it won’t take much for him to better his 2024 clemency stats.
Read MoreClemency is an act of forgiveness recognized under the Illinois Constitution. It is generally given to someone who has taken responsibility for their crime(s) and, over a period of years, turned their life around but continues to experience the adverse consequences of having a criminal record. Thus, to say that clemency is limited to cases involving “a miscarriage of justice” is simply false.
Read MoreSince March, the Trump Administration has targeted Green Card holders for detention and possible deportation for two primary reasons: 1) speech the government believes has “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States”; and 2) those who have a criminal (conviction) record. We will discuss both scenarios in this blog.
Read MoreEarlier this month a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney assigned to the Office of the Pardon Attorney (OPA) was asked to identify candidates worthy of having their gun rights reinstated. The original list the pardon attorney provided contained 95 names, all of whom had pending pardon petitions and been vetted by the OPA staff.
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