Every year, thousands of drivers are arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the state of Illinois. While many offenders will simply plead guilty for a DUI charge, especially their first charge, a DUI conviction can come with serious legal ramifications and potential changes to your lifestyle. If you have been charged with driving under the influence, it is important to contact a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible.

The Ramifications of a Conviction

In the state of Illinois, DUI charges are taken very seriously. A first-time DUI conviction constitutes a Class A misdemeanor charge and can lead to fines as high as $2,500 and even potential jail time. In all reality though, the true impact of a DUI conviction can go far beyond a mark on your criminal record.

Loss of Driving Privileges: First and foremost a DUI conviction will impact your ability to operate a motor vehicle in Illinois. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, a first time DUI conviction will automatically lead to a one-year license revocation period. In other words, the driver’s driving privileges will be revoked for a minimum of one year. It should be noted that drivers under the age of 21 will face a two year revocation period for their first DUI conviction. Drivers are eligible to register for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP), but must pay for the installation and tracking of a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID).

Despite the best wishes of parents, the vast majority of teenagers will experiment with alcohol at some point in their high school career. All parents can really hope for, is the fact that their child will remain safe while drinking, avoid over-consumption and not get behind the wheel of a car. Unfortunately, many young people that take part in underage drinking, do ultimately make the decision to drive. Below, we will examine the many ways in which driving under the influence can impact a teenager’s future.

The Consequences of a Conviction

When a person is convicted of a DUI, their life can be altered forever. The implications of a conviction can go far beyond the initial criminal punishment. Listed below, are the most notable ways in which a DUI conviction can impact a teenager’s future.

The Legal Ramifications: Here in the state of Illinois, a first DUI offense can come with significant legal ramifications. If convicted, a person will face Class A misdemeanor charges. Outside of the implications of having a misdemeanor on your criminal record (which we will explore below), the charge can come with other punishments. Most notably, a first-time DUI offender may be sentenced to up to one year in prison, depending on the circumstances. The person is likely to also face substantial fines, as high as $2,500. Significant time spent in jail can drastically impact a young person’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, Illinois police arrested 27,046 people on DUI charges throughout 2017. Law enforcement is always looking for signs of inebriated driving, from driving at erratic speeds to swerving from lane to lane. The consequences of a DUI conviction can be life-changing, with possible incarceration, substantial fines, and difficulty securing employment or housing. 

If you have been charged with DUI, it is important to speak with a knowledgeable legal team as soon as possible. 

All DUI charges are extremely serious and carry severe consequences, but the more DUI convictions you have, the worse it will be. Escalating punishments are a way of trying to prevent people from becoming repeat DUI offenders. Eventually, charges go from misdemeanor to felony. Illinois judges do not show much leniency toward repeat DUI offenders and commonly punish to the full extent of the law. 

A Recent Multiple DUI Case

A 38-year-old Plano, Ill. woman was recently indicted on felony charges for a DUI after she crashed her vehicle last October. If convicted, this would be the woman’s fifth DUI conviction. She was arrested and charged with a DUI, along with being ticketed for driving too fast for conditions, and failure to reduce speed after she crashed her car. Police say the woman was slurring her speech, smelled of alcohol, and had unsteady balance, although she refused to submit to field sobriety testing.

Popular television shows like “Cops” have long shown amusing videos of DUI suspects attempting to recite the alphabet or walk in a straight line. While these TV shows have tried to entertain us with failed attempts to complete field sobriety tests during DUI traffic stops, neither DUIs or field sobriety tests are laughing matters. These tests are administered to DUI suspects as evidence to support an arrest and they can also be used as evidence in the court of law when a person is being tried for a DUI. 

Standardized vs. Non-Standardized Tests

When it comes to field sobriety tests, there are two types: standardized and non-standardized. Most police forces use a combination of both types of tests, though standardized tests are the most widely accepted. Standardized tests are also usually the only tests that hold up as evidence against a DUI suspect in court. In the 1970s, the three standardized field sobriety tests were developed. Over the years, these tests have been studied, and it has been determined that standardized field sobriety tests can detect if a person is too impaired to drive around 90 percent of the time.