In Illinois, children become legal adults once they reach the age of 18. Being considered an adult in the eyes of the law comes with more rights and greater freedoms than juveniles have, but is also accompanied by harsher penalties for breaking the law.

The constitutionality of cell phone searches, without a search warrant, is a hot topic as of late. Especially with smart phones taking over the world, the legality of cell phone searches has become ever more present in modern society. With the push of a button, a law enforcement officer has a searchable record of the emails you send and receive, as well as text messages –not to mention the cloud services that many individuals now have on their phones allowing them to connect to their personal computers at the touch of a button. This is a frightening thought, considering that doing so would …

It has happened. You have been arrested and are being interrogated by the police. What do you do? Should you say anything? Do you have to answer the questions asked by the police? How do you ask to speak to your lawyer?

The story is common: you do something stupid and illegal in your younger years and you get caught. You go to court, you are convicted, and your criminal record has the horrible black mark from your younger indiscretions for the rest of time.