January 2012
Premises Liability
A landlord has a duty to take reasonable steps to provide a safe living space for his or her tenants. That duty requires the landlord or property owner to take reasonable action to remove any known hazards.
For example, a landlord may be required to fix a leaky roof if the leaks cause water to accumulate on stairs, smooth surfaces or any other place that could pose harm to someone lawfully on the premises. Additionally, a landlord may be held liable for injuries sustained by a violent attack on the premises if the landlord had knowledge of previous violent acts and failed to implement proper security procedures, etc.
Please contact Harris Law Firm if you believe you or a loved one has been injured by such neglect.
DUI Charge
During this past season of holiday family gatherings and office parties, law enforcement efforts to identify and arrest intoxicated drivers definitely increased. A driver may be arrested if an officer has probable cause to believe the driver is operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or some combination of the two. Typically, an officer will offer the driver a breathalyzer to determine the level of alcohol concentration in the blood.
A person is presumed under the influence if the breathalyzer shows the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is .08 (80 mg/dL) or greater under Illinois DUI laws. If you have a commercial driver's license, .04 (40 mg/dL) is an illegal BAC limit in Illinois.
Many people cling to home remedies to alter the accuracy of the test; these include: drinking coffee, large amounts of water, mouthwash, and breath mints. None of these methods work. You should contact an attorney immediately when dealing with a DUI charge.
If you were stopped because an officer suspects that you are driving under the influence of alcohol, you should:
- Be calm and polite while speaking to the officer;
- Remember you have a right to refuse to answer questions that may incriminate you;
- Remember that you have the right to refuse any form of test, including field sobriety tests.
- Call Harris Law Firm.
If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Jesse Harris, please contact Jesse Harris at (312) 782-4119 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (312) 782-4119 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 877-JVH-4LAW begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 877-JVH-4LAW end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Also, you can email Mr. Harris at harris@harrislawfirm.biz.
In the Spirit of Giving
This holiday season Harris Law Firm, in collaboration with The Living Room Café of
The Inspiration Corporation, hosted their first annual clothing and gift drive- "Warm Hands" Drive. We learned that the retail clothing industry provides ample coats for children. But, many times, the small things like hats, gloves, and scarves are not provided. So we campaigned to provide those items. We were able to provide those items for 25 families. At Harris Law Firm even the small things are important.
