New Publications

HB74

House Bill 74(HB74) requires sex offenders required to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) serve a prison sentence. This means all sex offenses covered under SORA would not be eligible for probation. Under current law, some but not all SORA offenses require a prison sentence.

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Homicide 101

This document summarizes homicide offenses in Illinois. Homicide in Illinois can range from unintentional killing to intentional murder. Often, homicide is confused with murder, but they are not fully synonymous. Homicide occurs any time a person causes the death of another, while murder is more specifically defined as discussed below with examples provided. There are three categories of homicide in Illinois: first degree murder, second degree murder, and unintentional homicide.

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Affirmative Defenses 101

This document summarizes affirmative defenses in Illinois. Articles 4, 6, and 7 of the Criminal Code provides statutory affirmative defenses. Affirmative defenses are those where a defendant will admit that they committed a crime but provide an excuse or justification why they should be punished less or not at all for the crime. Whether an affirmative defense prevents or reduces punishment is a decision for the jury. There are generally two categories of affirmative defenses, justification and exoneration.

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