Several new Illinois laws went into effect on Sunday, June 1, and the Illinois legislature has approved and sent various other legislation to Governor Blagojevich for signature.  Let’s take a look and see how they will affect your legal situation:

Where do you buy wine?  Most of us simply head to a local supermarket or wine shop, but many connoisseurs order their favorite vintages online from wine clubs or other out-of state retail stores.  Thanks to Illinois lawmakers, doing so is now illegal.  On its face, the law appears to make it easier to buy more wine, as consumers are now allowed to buy up to 12 cases per year from a winery, up from the previous limit of 2 cases per year.  Unfortunately for consumers, however, wine orders must be placed through retailers who have a presence in Illinois.

Who wins with this new law?  Distributors, of course, as they are the middle-men who provide wine for retailers and restaurants.  A dozen cases per year seems to be a substantial amount, but individuals are prohibited from ordering directly from out-of-state retailers, and restaurants order significantly more wine per year.  So, buyer beware:  next time you try to order wine online, you may be breaking the law.

Is your dog “potentially dangerous?”  You may not think so, but if your dog is left unsupervised and running with three or more other dogs, then Illinois law disagrees.  Apparently, if your dog is running in something of a dog street gang, Illinois is more worried than if your dog is alone.  Nonetheless, dogs deemed “potentially dangerous” are subject to ticketing, fines from $200 (first offense) up to $1,000, and mandatory spaying or neutering, and microchip identification.  The law exempts supervised dog play in dog parks and for (legal) hunting.

Also in animal news, a bill has been approved by legislators and sent to Gov. Blagojevich, but has not yet signed into law.  The proposed law would exempt from liability those who attempt to help animals separated from their owners during emergencies, but end up hurting the animal further.  This “Good Samaritan” law is substantially similar to other laws which protect those who attempt to help human accident victims but inadvertently cause more harm.

Another proposed bill increases criminal penalties for those who sell or give firearms to minors when the minor commits a crime with the weapon.  The person who provided the firearm could serve as much time as the minor who committed the crime in the first place.  While it hardly seems that this law would come into play very often or have any meaningful effect on crime, it certainly creates significant liability for those who would provide firearms to minors.  Anyone who intends to provide firearms to minors should be aware of this proposed law and consider its consequences.

“Alcopops” were also on legislators’ minds.  One proposed bill would require energy drinks containing alcohol to carry warning labels.  Also, a new law regarding alcopops – which include drinks such as hard lemonade or other fruity, premixed alcoholic beverages – went into effect June 1.  Various alcopop advertising, including during youth-oriented events, on billboards within 500 feet of schools, parks, or churches, and even the display of alcopops in games or performances with a minor audience is now illegal in Illinois.  Business owners and promoters should be careful not to run afoul of the new child protection law.

Finally, for those in troubled marriages and perhaps considering divorce, a proposed law would require insurance companies to cover marriage counseling for those who have mental health insurance coverage.

Do you feel safer?  We’ll let you decide.  If you need legal advice about one of these new Illinois laws or pending legislation, call us to schedule a consultation.