Why Repeat DUIs Are More Serious

 Posted on May 29, 2024 in Multiple DUI

A first DUI can be serious depending on the circumstances, but repeat DUIs are even more of a problem. Your first DUI can be considered a one-time mistake, especially if it is your first offense ever. Courts often focus on putting first-time DUI offenders into treatment for an alcohol problem in the hopes that getting sober will prevent them from making the same mistake twice. However, those who get a second DUI are not given the same benefit of the doubt. Those who get a third DUI will be charged with a felony in Illinois. If you are re-arrested for a second, third, or subsequent DUI offense, you need a highly experienced Cook County, IL repeat DUI attorney to defend you in court.

Penalties for a Second DUI 

Usually, a second DUI offense is a misdemeanor. However, your experience in the justice system is likely to feel different after your first DUI conviction. The first time, the judge may have treated you with compassion, understanding that you need treatment and this arrest may have served as a wake-up call. However, courts expect people to learn from their mistakes and do not look kindly upon those who commit the same offense twice.

If you got probation or were sent to treatment the first time, the court may be more inclined to send you to jail this time, believing that harsh penalties are necessary to discourage you from committing a third DUI offense. There is a mandatory minimum two-day sentence, and you could serve up to a year.

How a Third DUI is Different 

A third DUI is a felony. At this point, the court will consider you a willful repeat offender. You have likely had multiple rounds of treatment that have not been effective at preventing you from relapsing and reoffending. This time, you could face three to seven years in prison if you are convicted.

Courts take third DUI offenses very seriously because every time you drive drunk, there is a substantial risk that you will cause an accident that seriously injures or kills someone. Drunk drivers are considered a threat to public safety. Getting a third DUI also suggests that you are a habitual drunk driver and there have likely been numerous occasions where you drove drunk and were not caught. The judge may decide that sending you to prison, where you cannot drive and hurt someone, is the best course of action.

Contact an Arlington Heights, IL Repeat DUI Attorney

Scott F. Anderson, Attorney at Law provides the best criminal defense services possible to those accused of repeat DUI offenses. Experienced Cook County, IL repeat DUI lawyer Scott Anderson is rated as an Excellent Top Attorney in criminal defense by AVVO. Contact us at 847-253-3400 for a complimentary consultation.