Sami Azhari, Attorney at Law
Driving under the influence is a misdemeanor offense with a potential sentence of up to one year in the Cook County jail. The arrest is followed by a statutory summary suspension that deprives the motorist of a driver’s license for 6 months, 12 months, or even 36 months.
However, the driver can seek a hearing to reinstate driving privileges, so an attorney should be consulted as soon as practicable.
All DUI offenses are prosecuted by the Cook County State’s Attorney, unless it is a village prosecution (which is rare). The cases are heard by judges in all six municipal district courts: Chicago Daley Center, Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview, and Markham.
On occasion, a person will get two or more DUIs within a short period of time. Sometimes when this occurs, the person gets the second DUI before appearing in court on the first DUI. Or, he may get the second DUI sometime during the course of appearing in court on the first DUI offense. Where […]
During a period of statutory summary suspension, some defendants may qualify for a driving permit. The permit is called a Monitoring Device Driving Permit. The permit is referred to as an MDDP by attorneys and the courts. The statute is 625 ILCS 5/6-206.1 of the vehicle code. The MDDP is a permit allowing the defendant […]
The breathalyzer test that is part of nearly all driving under the influence arrests serves as the State’s best evidence that the driver is guilty. A result of 0.08 or more is per se a violation of 625 ILCS 5/11-501. But the breath test does more. A high breath alcohol concentration can subject the defendant […]
A charge of driving under the influence in Illinois has serious consequences. Most DUI offenders are charged with a Class A misdemeanor offense of DUI. A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,500. If the defendant is found guilty of a crime, then he is […]
An arrest for driving under the influence will result typically in a misdemeanor charge on the first offense. Specifically, a DUI is a Class A misdemeanor under Illinois law. It is categorized the same as other crimes like domestic battery, theft, etc. The penalty for a Class A misdemeanor is up to one year in […]
- by Sami Azhari, DUI Lawyer
