(The Center Square) – Around a dozen new laws go into effect Jan. 1 making changes to Illinois’ criminal justice system.
Beginning New Year’s Day, law enforcement training will have a course to assist officers identifying and responding to people with autism.
Another law says in hazing offenses, it is no longer a defense that the person being hazed was consenting to or permitted the hazing.
If a person fails to appear in court, the court may send them a text, a call or email with notice regarding continued court dates.
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, opposed the measure.
“Currently the law is that if an individual does not pay a traffic ticket, their license is suspended. Of course, that creates a great incentive for a person to pay their traffic tickets,” Windhorst said during floor debate. “If this becomes law, an individual will get three unpaid tickets per year before they would have their license suspended.”
House Bill 4500 changes the name of the offense “unlawful use of a weapon” to “unlawful possession of a weapon.” It also changes the name of the offense “armed habitual criminal” to “persistent unlawful possession of a weapon.”
Of the nearly 300 laws going into effect Jan. 1, a handful give crime victims more authority. One measure adds the use of an electronic tracking system to the definition of “course of contact” of stalking. A juvenile charge that was the result of a human trafficking situation can be expunged from the victim’s record.
House Bill 1168 carried by state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, impacts crime victims’ DNA.
“It provides that when DNA evidence is collected from a person because the person was the victim of a crime, that specific DNA profile collected in conjunction with that criminal investigation shall not be entered into any DNA databases,” Villanueva explained before the bill passed.
A separate law allows victims who had their license plates stolen to get new license plates issued by the Illinois Secretary of State.
Another law allows a person to recover personal effects from a vehicle being towed. If the vehicle is stolen and later towed, storage fees cannot be charged if the vehicle was recovered within seven days.
House Bill 2323 creates the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force and requires them to meet at least quarterly to assist the State Police in the development and implementation of an integrated software system for gathering and publishing crime data from all law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
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