Chicago Criminal attorney comments on the impact of the recession on criminal laws

This Chicago Criminal attorney is somewhat surprised by the compassion shown by our state legislators.

From PA-96-1301:

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Increases the threshold amount in which higher penalties are imposed for theft from exceeding $300 to exceeding $500. Increases the threshold amount in which higher penalties are imposed for retail theft and theft by emergency exit and for previous convictions of any type of theft, robbery, armed robbery, burglary, residential burglary, possession of burglary tools or home invasion from a full retail value exceeding $150 to a full retail value exceeding $300.

Perhaps they realized that a floor of $300 wouldn’t do much more than overwhelm the court system and perhaps create even greater tragedies.