Getting pulled over by the police is scary. However, few traffic stops are scarier than those that occur when you are even mildly under the influence of alcohol or another substance.
This type of stop is especially nerve-racking in Illinois because the state is notoriously tough on drivers found guilty of driving under the influence (DUI). With a single DUI arrest and conviction, you can incur criminal penalties, administrative penalties, and significant personal and professional setbacks.
Don’t let a state prosecutor decide your fate without having your own licensed advocate. Prosecuting a DUI case is complex.
So no matter how strong you think the evidence against you is, it’s well worth your time and money to immediately hire an experienced criminal and DUI defense attorney like Anisa Jordan to protect your rights.
If you have been arrested for DUI, our Rolling Meadows attorney at The Jordan Law Firm has the experience to make the best out of your situation. Anisa can help you maintain your innocence and make sure prosecutors and authorities don’t overstep the bounds of the law.
DUI Statistics
In 2020, the Illinois Secretary of State recorded more than 20,000 DUI arrests. And 86% of those DUI arrests were first-time offenders. In other words, the majority of DUIs in 2020 were people who had never had a DUI before in their lives.
If you live in Cook County, Illinois, the prevalence of DUI arrests is staggering, especially compared to other counties. In 2020, more than 5,400 drivers in Cook County were arrested for DUI.
As you can see, many otherwise law-abiding people make the mistake of driving under the influence. If you have made this mistake, you don’t want to compound it by failing to hire a DUI attorney.
What Is DUI?
The State of Illinois can punish a driver for DUI if they drove while under the influence of any combination of substances that made them incapable of driving safely.
There are several ways to show that a person was incapable of driving safely. The simplest way the State can prove DUI is to through chemical tests. Illinois law considers a driver to be under the influence if they drove with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or more or had an illegal level of another controlled substance in their blood or urine.
However, it’s possible to get a DUI conviction even if chemical tests weren’t taken or if they showed you were below the legal limit.
For example, the State could show that your actions, such as driving erratically or failing field sobriety tests, showed you were unable to drive safely. The State could also present evidence of your physical symptoms, such as slurred speech or bloodshot eyes.
You can quickly get a DUI charge by losing track of your drinks on a night out or by taking your medication at the wrong time.
It’s important to drink and medicate responsibly every time to avoid harming others and risking your future.
Penalties for Suspicion or Conviction of DUI
The penalties for DUI and suspicion of DUI can be criminal, financial, administrative, professional, and personal.
Hiring a lawyer for your DUI charge is the best way to figure out the far-reaching consequences and how to eliminate or reduce them.
Criminal Penalties
A DUI can bring you a misdemeanor or a felony conviction. With a conviction, you could face a few days to several years of incarceration, and you could lose your driving privileges for years.
Administrative Penalties
Those convicted or suspected of DUI can lose their privilege to drive. Surprisingly enough, the state doesn’t always have to convict you of DUI to take your license.
Automatic summary license suspension
If the police suspect DUI and you refuse to submit to or fail a chemical test, you are subject to statutory summary suspension of your license. This suspension is automatic, and the state can suspend your license for an entire year.
Drivers suspected of using THC can suffer an automatic, one-year field sobriety test suspension for refusing to take or failing a field sobriety test. Automatic suspension can make it harder for you to get to work, take care of your family, and engage in social activities.
You can dispute a summary license suspension if you act quickly. You have 90 days from the notice of your suspension to request a hearing. And you have 30 days from the date of your request (or until your first criminal court date) to conduct a summary suspension hearing. While you await the hearing, your license remains suspended.
Hearings to dispute summary suspensions review whether your case meets certain complex legal standards.
If you are in Rolling Meadows and suspected of DUI, hiring a Rolling Meadows lawyer is crucial to protecting your driving privileges.
License revocations
Illinois also allows the Secretary of State to revoke the licenses of drivers charged with DUI without a hearing. This revocation remains in place until the conclusion of your criminal case, and you have the option to contest it.
Financial Penalties
A DUI conviction can cost you a lot of money, even if you or an accident victim don’t have medical costs.
A conviction normally involves:
- Increases in car insurance,
- Legal and court costs,
- Penalty-related income loss,
- Rehabilitation obligations, and
- Driving limitations.
The actual costs depends on the unique circumstances of your case, but they can amount to thousands of dollars.
Personal and Professional Penalties
You don’t see the effects of a DUI conviction in just criminal penalties and financial costs.
A conviction can touch every aspect of your life by damaging your reputation, making your personal life more difficult, and making it harder for you to find or keep a job.
Don’t Face Criminal Charges Alone; Contact Our Rolling Meadows DUI Attorneys
When you face a DUI charge, you are facing the power and resources of the state government. This is a daunting challenge, but it’s easier to overcome when you have an experienced advocate by your side.
Jordan Law Firm is that advocate. For those suspected of DUI, our Rolling Meadows lawyer, Anisa Jordan, can be the perfect defender. Anisa is a former prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney who has litigated hundreds of cases. She works tirelessly and has the tactical advantage of understanding exactly how your opponent in a criminal case operates.
If you need a fierce defender and skilled practitioner to guide and protect you through a criminal issue, Anisa is here for you. Call today or contact us online.
