Politics & Government

'Julie's Law' Begins: Measure Keeps Memory of Frankfort Teen Alive

Legislation to prevent tragic speeding accidents like the one that killed Julie Gorczynski went into effect this month. Find out the history behind the law and listen to Julie's family talk about its importance.

After two years, the memory of a tragic accident gets a chance to prevent more deaths.

Although it was signed by Gov. Pat Quinn last year during an emotional ceremony at Lincoln-Way North High School, "Julie's Law" went into effect recently on July 1.

The legislation, named after Frankfort teen Julie Gorczynski, is designed to crack down on habitual speeders and prevent tragic accidents that took the life of the law's namesake. It also stands as a memorial to Julie and the efforts of her family who worked with State Sen. Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) and Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Arlington Heights) to create the measure.

Julie's Story


Julie, 17, was riding in the passenger seat of a friend's Jeep Cherokee on June 10, 2011, when the vehicle was struck by a 2009 Mazda driven by Lukasz Marszalek, 21 at the time, near 135th Street and 88th Avenue. According to Orland Park police, Marszalek, who was living in Lemont at the time, was traveling at least 76 mph in a 40-mph zone.

Julie, who had recently graduated from L-W North and was a week away from turning 18, was pronounced dead after being taken to Palos Community Hospital.

Marszalek was originally charged with aggravated reckless driving, a Class 4 felony, but that was reduced to aggravated speeding. He was convicted of that and sentenced to six months in jail in September of 2012.

It was revealed during Marszalek's bench trial and sentencing that he had been placed on court suspension seven times previously before the June 2011 crash, all for excessive speeding. He also had received a speeding ticket after the accident that killed Julie.

What Does Julie's Law Change?


Under Julie's Law, judges can no longer hand out court supervision—a type of probation that allows an offense to eventually be stricken from the record—to speeders charged with going 30 mph over the limit on highways and 25 mph in urban areas. In the past, supervision could be given to drivers convicted of going a maximum of 40 mph over the limit.

VIDEOS: Watch the video clips in this article to hear Julie's family talk about why Julie's Law is important and see footage from the last year's bill signing. If you're using a mobile device, go to the YouTube pages to view the clips:


Other Stories on Julie's Law and the Accident That Created It on Patch:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here