New law supports felony charge for assault on firefighters, police

From Illinois Business Journal news services

SPRINGFIELD – Individuals charged with assaulting a first responder acting in the line of duty will face greater penalties under a new law that becomes effective Jan. 1.

Under the previous Criminal Code of 2012, an individual who carried out such an assault was charged with a Class A misdemeanor provided a weapon was not used. The language in the new proposal states those charges would automatically become a Class 4 felony, which carries a sentence from one to three years in prison.

The measure was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. John Mulroe, D-Chicago.