Posted on June 28,2018 in License Reinstatement

If your Illinois driver’s license has been revoked for driving under the influence, you anxiously await the day when you are free to drive again with no restrictions. However, Illinois does not make it easy to get your license reinstated after a DUI conviction. 

If you live in Illinois, you will have to appear in person before a Secretary of State hearing officer, who will consider your request for reinstatement, and they may choose to deny your request for any number of reasons. Good preparation is key to success at these hearings. Here are a few of the important steps you must complete before you can even have that hearing:

Determine if You Are Eligible to Apply Yet 

You cannot apply for reinstatement of your driver’s license until your revocation period is up. For example, let us assume that you received the usual six-month statutory summary suspension of your driver’s license for testing over the legal limit for drugs or alcohol at the time of your DUI arrest. Then, at your sentencing, your license was revoked for a minimum of one year. On that date, you had already served three months of your suspension. Those three months will be credited toward your minimum period of revocation, leaving you with nine more months of revocation to serve. At the end of that nine months, you can apply for reinstatement.

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 Posted on June 06,2018 in Criminal Defense

When approached by a police officer, it is natural for your heart to start racing and for the primitive “fight or flight” instinct to kick in. However, resisting a police officer is a serious crime. So what should you do?

It is important for you to know your rights, and the rights of law enforcement, in the event that you are ever arrested and charged with a crime. Here are some tips to remember if you are being arrested:

1. Remain calm and obey the directions of the officer. You do not have the right to resist the arrest, even if you are innocent of any wrongdoing.
2. You must give police officers your real name, address, age, and date of birth. You do not need to say anything else, and anything you do say could be used against you later. You can simply state that you wish you remain silent, and then do not respond to any questions. 
3. When an officer tells you that you are under arrest, he has the right to do a “pat down” search over your clothing to ensure that you are not carrying any weapons. He can also search any bags you are carrying and the area immediately around you. 

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