Assaulting a retail or restaurant worker who is enforcing mask requirements in Illinois has become a more serious offense. J.B. Pritzker approved the bill on Friday, which declares the “battery of a merchant is aggravated battery,” according to the Illinois General Assembly website. Aggravated battery is considered a felony in Illinois, according to FindLaw.com. The maximum sentence can increase to 10 years “depending on factors such as the individual’s criminal history,” the website said. A regular battery charge is only a misdemeanor, according to the website, and has a maximum sentence of one year in prison and maximum fines of $2,500.

Source: Fox News August 11, 2020 21:45 UTC