Category Archives: General
Taylor Farms Lettuce Recall and Taco Bell: What the Outbreak Means for Illinois Consumers and Their Legal Rights
The 2026 outbreak, the Taylor Farms recall, Taco Bell, and the potential legal issues for people who became seriously ill The Public Health Investigation Is Over. The Legal Questions May Not Be. A major Cyclospora outbreak in 2026 led to a recall of iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico… Read More »
Your Child Is Accused of Creating an AI Nude Image: What Parents Should Know in Illinois
Understanding Illinois Law, What Parents Should Do, and How an AI Image Allegation Can Affect a Child You get a call from your child’s school asking you to come in. When you arrive, the principal tells you that your child may have been involved in creating or sharing an AI-generated nude image of another… Read More »
AI-Generated Sexual Images Involving Students: The Lake Zurich High School Investigation
AI-Generated Sexual Images Involving Students: The Lake Zurich High School Investigation Artificial intelligence can create or alter images in seconds, including images that appear to show real people in situations that never actually occurred. In 2026, that technology became part of an investigation involving students at Lake Zurich High School. According to reports, school… Read More »
Illinois Bicycle Accident Law: The 3-Foot Passing Rule and Your Right to Compensation
When a driver passes a bicyclist too closely and causes a crash, a violation of Illinois traffic law may become important evidence in a personal injury claim. Illinois law requires drivers to give bicyclists adequate space when passing. When a driver passes too closely and causes a bicycle accident, the driver’s violation of Illinois… Read More »
First Federal Execution in the United States since 2003
Federal capital cases involve exceptionally serious charges, complex constitutional issues, extensive investigation, and the possibility of a death sentence under federal law. Quick Take: The federal death penalty is different from Illinois’s state death penalty. Federal law continues to authorize capital punishment for certain offenses and under specific statutory requirements. A federal death-penalty… Read More »
April is Second Chance Month
Understanding how Illinois law addresses criminal records, second-chance probation, expungement, record sealing, and the barriers that can follow a criminal case. Quick Take: Completing probation or a sentence does not necessarily mean that the consequences of a criminal record disappear. Depending on the case, an arrest, charge, or conviction can continue to appear… Read More »
The National Trial Lawyers Announces Baku Patel As One Of Its Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers In Illinois
Baku N. Patel of Patel Law, PC was selected for membership in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff division in Illinois. Recognition: Baku N. Patel of Patel Law, PC was selected for inclusion in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff division in Illinois. The National Trial Lawyers describes… Read More »
Breaking News: The FDA Is Requesting Removal Of All Ranitidine Products (Zantac) From The Market
Zantac and other ranitidine products were withdrawn from the U.S. market after the FDA identified concerns about NDMA contamination and increasing levels of the impurity over time. Important Update: The FDA requested the withdrawal of all prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine products from the U.S. market on April 1, 2020, after testing showed… Read More »
Impact Of The Coronavirus To The Criminal Justice System
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted courts, jails, prisons, criminal proceedings, and the way criminal defense attorneys represented their clients. Historical Perspective: The COVID-19 pandemic created extraordinary challenges for the American criminal justice system beginning in 2020. Courts changed how proceedings were conducted, correctional facilities implemented infection-control measures, and attorneys sought alternatives to… Read More »
The Drug Report: A Review Of America’s Disparate Possession Penalties
Drug possession laws can carry serious consequences, while Illinois drug courts and other problem-solving courts provide treatment-focused alternatives in qualifying cases. Drug possession charges can have consequences that extend far beyond a criminal case. Depending on the substance, quantity, prior criminal history, and circumstances of the alleged offense, a drug possession charge can expose… Read More »