Few people obtain legal representation when investigated by DCFS. Many parents probably don’t know that DCFS can remove children from their parents’ custody and impose conditions that must be met before the family is reunited. DCFS is the state agency responsible for investigating non-criminal allegations of child abuse and neglect. DCFS need only find credible evidence of abuse or neglect, a significantly lower burden of proof than required to find someone guilty of a crime. Because DCFS investigations lack the due process guarantees afforded to criminal defendants, it is unlikely that immigration authorities would conclude that an indicated finding of abuse/neglect is a CMT
Read Moreexecute clemency Illinois - As we approach the mid-year, it’s doubtful that 2024 will be a banner year for clemency rulings in Illinois. Five months in, Governor J.B. Pritzker has yet to grant a single clemency (pardon or sentence commutation) petition but has denied 243.
Read MoreLast year there wasn’t much to cheer about if you were waiting on a clemency decision in Illinois.
In 2023, Gov. Pritzker ruled on 563 petitions – the vast majority of those were filed by people in prison seeking a sentence commutation. Only 44 of those petitions were granted: 29 pardons[1] and 15 sentence commutations for an overall grant rate of 7.8%.
Read MoreEver since the Illinois sealing law was amended in 2017 -- extending relief to those who could not remove their criminal record unless they were pardoned. Petitioners, due to where they were arrested, will face different odds in getting their records expunged or sealed.
Read MoreFCRA - Today, fewer and fewer employers ask job applicants if they have a criminal record (of convictions). Rather, they prefer waiting until a conditional job offer is made to perform a background check. For better or worse, employment-based background checks are here to stay. That’s why it’s vital that you know what your rights are under the FCRA.
Read MoreExecutive Clemency in Illinois - During his first term in office (2019-2022), Gov. Pritzker developed no consistent pattern of grants. His first and last year in office, where few petitions were granted, bore little resemblance to the clemency rulings made during his second and third year (2020-2021) in office – the COVID years.
One can only speculate how Gov. Pritzker would have acted during those years if there hadn’t been a worldwide pandemic. What we can do is wade through his grants and denials to answer this question: Is Gov. Pritzker Pro Clemency?
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