Drunk Driving in Illinois? Avoid Conviction!

Reader’s Question:

I have so many friends here in Cicero, Illinois who often drive drunk and I’m just afraid they might get into an accident and face DUI. How would I approach someone I know who is too drunk to drive?

Dahlia

Cicero, IL

Approaching a friend who is trying to drive drunk is one of the hardest things to do. But you can definitely intervene to avoid an accident and a DUI charge in Cicero, Illinois. You can try the direct approach, but this would probably not work with a friend who is very drunk, but it won’t hurt to try. You can ask for your friend’s keys and offer to drive or call a cab. Sometimes it would just take someone pointing out the obvious for the person to admit the problem.

You may also offer a diversion by suggesting you grab a bite to eat before heading home. This would work best if there is a place to get food within walking distance, but if not, you can still offer to drive. The food that you eat could sober your friend up, or at least provide you more time to convince him not to drive home. You can also try to explain to your friend the penalties that would be involved if he will be caught drunk driving, such as fines, possible jail time, probation, etc. DUI can also have an adverse effect on his auto insurance as it will definitely go up. Worse, he might just have someone injured or killed and he could also probably kill himself if he gets into an accident caused by drunk driving.

DUI Car Insurance in Illinois After Drunk Driving Conviction

Reader’s Question:

My cousin told me that he has a big problem about his car insurance rates because of his DUI conviction in Skokie, Illinois. Is it true that it will be largely affected because of his drunk driving conviction?

Malcolm

Skokie, IL

Your cousin’s drunk driving conviction in Skokie, Illinois could bring many negative consequences into his life. Aside from the legal consequences such as possible jail time, fines and a criminal record, he would also have higher insurance premiums. If he is currently insured, his car insurance provider would, of course, respond to this circumstance. What his car insurance company can exactly legally do would vary but his car insurance company may cancel or decline to renew his policy, restrict coverage provisions or, at a minimum, increase his premiums.

Although the amount of increase could greatly vary, his premiums could go up as much as 100 percent or more. How his car insurance provider reacts to his DUI could be worse if he has other strikes against him, such as traffic tickets, previous drunk driving convictions, late or unpaid insurance premiums, at-fault accidents or other negative history with the insurance company. He can obviously get free online rate quotes from various car insurance companies such as the ones available from this website.

What Are The Possible DUI Penalties in Illinois

Reader’s Question:

A friend of mine was arrested for DUI in Skokie, Illinois for the first time and from what I know, they have a strong case against him. Could you please educate me on what he could be facing because of his DUI charge, what are the penalties involved?

Aldrin

Skokie, IL

After your friend was arrested for DUI in Skokie, Illinois, he would be facing two different cases; one is an administrative driver’s license suspension that starts automatically, unless appealed and the other one is on the court system. He would need to request for a DMV hearing which should be done quickly after the DUI arrest so that he can be able to appeal against the suspension of his driver’s license. He would also have to make sure that he hires a qualified DUI lawyer to help him with his appeal to ensure that it is received in time and that all of the necessary paperworks are filled in correctly.

If he tries to do all of these by himself, he is risking making a serious mistake and losing his without the chance for appeal. Aside from that, if convicted for DUI, he would have penalties that are truly unacceptable. Since this is his first DUI offense, it would be considered as Class A misdemeanor charge. If he gets convicted, he can expect to have consequences such as fines of up to $2,500, jail time of up to 364 days, potential Victim Impact Program requirement, alcohol evaluation with potential counselling, potential community service and any other consequence deemed necessary by the judge.

Convicted of Drunk Driving In Illinois?

Reader’s Question:

I know someone who has been charged with DUI here in Illinois. He’s in trial right now and by the looks of it, he will be convicted but he’s lawyer is doing everything to at least shorten the jail time and reduce the fines. I wanna make sure that the same thing will not happen to me. I don’t deny that I have been drunk or maybe drove under the influence of alcohol once or twice. What advice could you give me if I will be caught drunk driving?

Jackie

Springfield, IL

It is unlawful to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Illinois. It is strongly advised that people should not drive alone while in an intoxicated condition. Drivers who are caught doing this are charged with a criminal offense. It is very important that you know what to do if you are stopped by a patrol officer on a DUI suspicion.

In case you can’t avoid drinking and getting behind the wheel, you should have a favorable witness along with you in your car. Eye drops should be applied to mask bloodshot eyes, which strongly imply a person’s drunken condition. If you will be caught drunk driving, you should not take a portable breath test or any field sobriety tests (FST) while in an intoxicated condition because you are not required by law to do so. You should also indicate that you are confused about your legal rights. You should be advised by the officer to ask for a lawyer before questioning and after Miranda warnings are given. You should not information as to how much you have been drinking and what you were drinking. All implied consent warnings should be fully read to you by the police officer. You should also be polite and courteous regardless of how rude a police officer may be towards you. While blowing into the Breath analyzer, you should not blow hard because blowing hard may reflect a higher than normal reading.

Lastly, if in any unavoidable circumstance that you will be charged with DUI, make sure that you consult and hire an experienced Illinois DUI lawyer to give you detailed advice, to represent you, and to make sure everything will be done for you to avoid serving in jail and hefty fines.

Do I Represent Myself or Hire a Chicago DWI Attorney?

Reader’s Question:

Since its only a DWI conviction, can I just represent myself in Illinois?

Tom

Thank you for asking Tom.

In Illinois, even though you are legally permitted to represent yourself, you are likely to get a much more favorable result if you retain a knowledgeable DWI attorney to represent you. In many cases getting a qualifoed and experienced DUI attorney can result in the charges being reduced or dismissed. Additionally, the need for jail time can often be eliminated.

A qualified and experienced attorney will review your case and the police reports. Your DWI attorney will also analyze the results of the chemical tests, compel discovery of the pertinent maintenance records and arrange for blood samples to be tested by an independent lab. An experienced DUI lawyer will be able to file Motions on your behalf with the court and attempt to negotiate a favorable conclusion with the District Attorney in Illinois.

Goodluck!

MariCAR