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Recent Blog Posts
Chicago Man Charged in Fatal DUI Crash
Aaron I. Moore was charged with "two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death; two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs resulting in death; and two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal crash," according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Moore, 26, was driving on a Sunday morning in mid-January on the Eisenhower Expressway, when his Durango slammed into the back of Windstar van that had stalled near the First Avenue exit. Both the van’s driver and backseat passenger died on impact, according to the Sun-Times. "Moore and a 25-year-old woman who was in the SUV with him were taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," reports the Sun-Times. 
Court Cracks Down on DUI Offenders Failing to Meet Obligations
At the beginning of January in Cook County, according to ABC Local News, the "sheriff’s office is conducting a sweep for people with DUI arrests who failed to appear in court or meet court-ordered obligations." Each year in Cook County, ABC Local reports, there are more than 600 criminal warrants in drunk driving. Due to budgetary constraints, time, and lack of available police resources, it’s difficult to continue to track DUI offenders after they’ve received their sentencing. "The mission [at the beginning of January] has been to whittle down that number and get repeat offenders off the street," reports ABC Local.
According to the 2013 Illinois DUI Fact Book, a publication from the office of the Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, about 15 percent of all drivers arrested for DUI are repeat offenders. This is a scary statistic, when considering that "323 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes," a full 35 percent of total crash fatalities in the state. "Males ages 21–24 had the highest DUI arrest rate," the Fact Book reports, "about 17 per 1,000 licensed drivers."
Driver Charged with Aggravated DUI in Crash that Killed Illinois Police Officer and K-9 Partner
A man who was allegedly involved in an accident that killed a police officer and his K-9 partner was charged with aggravated DUI in Illinois.
According to CBS Chicago, Jason C. Collins was driving on I-55 north of Route 23 when his pickup truck left the road and struck a marked police car in the center crossover around 9:30 p.m. on October 30,2013. The collision killed Pontiac Police Officer Casey Kohlmeier and his K-9 partner Draco. Collins was taken into custody after being released from the hospital and was charged with aggravated DUI.
Kohlmeier was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a well-respected member of the Pontiac police force and the community. According to the department, "Casey was a dedicated, honorable employee who was deeply committed to law enforcement and to the community he will be greatly missed." He joined the Pontiac police force in 2007 and was assigned to the Livingston County Pro-Active Unit.
Driver’s License Reinstatements in Illinois
If you have lost driving privileges as part of a criminal charge in Illinois, you need to speak with an attorney about the process of getting your license reinstated. Don’t attempt to drive when your license is suspended, because the consequences go beyond typical traffic violations.
At the bare minimum, being caught driving under a suspended license is a Class A misdemeanor with a possible fine of $2,500 and as many as 364 days spent in jail. Depending on your record, the penalties can get stiffer: you can spend up to seven years in prison with fines of up to $25,000.
You might be eligible to receive a restricted driving permit or reinstatement. You can only get your driving privileges reinstated on or after your eligibility date. If you haven’t reached your eligibility date yet, you could get a restricted driving permit. You would need to provide evidence of "undue hardship" as a result of lost driving privileges. Examples of undue hardship include medical care or daycare for children or elderly individuals, or court ordered community service or employment. You’d need to contact a hearing officer in order to start the ball rolling on this process.
Average Cost of a DUI in Illinois
Receiving a DUI conviction in Illinois can wreak havoc on your personal finances. According to CyberDrive Illinois, drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence can expect to pay more than $16,000 on average, with additional costs possible if an accident occurs and people are injured, or if a jury trial is required.
When you are arrested on a DUI charge, your vehicle will be towed and stored at a law enforcement facility. This can cost drivers as much as $250. Furthermore, drivers who are convicted can be charged a fine of up to $2,500, court costs of up to $750, and a required contribution to the trauma center fund of $100. That’s up to $3,600 in court costs alone, not including legal fees. An uncontested plea in court and a hardship driving permit will cost drivers an additional $2,000. Drivers who are required to have a BAIID device installed will pay another $100 for installation and $120 per month in rental and monitoring charges.
Chicago Ambulance Driver Charged With Drunk Driving
John Lara, 31, of LaGrange, was driving a private ambulance when he crashed into another vehicle on the North Side of Chicago in mid-December, according to CBS News Chicago. His lights and sirens were blaring when he hit a pickup truck at the corner of Clark and Montrose, and police immediately noticed the strong smell of alcohol on him, according to CBS. They also noticed, "Lara’s eyes were glassy and his speech was slurred."
Though his lights were on and the sirens blasting, "he was the only one in the ambulance, and was headed to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center to pick up a patient," according to CBS. When police tested him, Lara’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit, they told CBS. "He has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence, disobeying a stop signal, negligent driving, failing to carry a driver’s license, and other offenses," reports CBS. Both Lara and the man in the pickup truck he slammed into suffered minor injuries, according to DNA Info.
Lower BAC Threshold for DUI Charges On High Risk Weekends?
The holiday season is a great time to spend with family and friends at parties, dinners, and other festive events. For some, the celebrations also include the imbibing of drinks--beer, wine, hot toddies, and more. Of course, this presents the risk that, when it is time to go home, one may get behind the wheel while under the influence. This is never a smart move, often leading to serious accidents, DUI charges, or both.
The prevalence of drinking and driving around certain holidays is well-known. It usually results in law enforcement officers stepping up their enforcement efforts around these times. In fact, some are even proposing changes the laws related to DUIs around certain high-risk holidays in order to further deter drunk driving.
Holiday DUIs
Bill to Toughen Gun Penalties is Holstered
The amount of crime in the city of Chicago has created national news recently. The FBI has released statistics that there were 500 murders in Chicago last year up from 431 in 2011. That is over 80 more than New York City although the Big Apple boasts three times the population of Chicago. It is not the most dangerous city as the city of Flint in Michigan receives that distinction.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying to change the amount of violent crime in the city by making tougher laws. He has proposed an increase to the minimum sentence for people convicted of illegally possessing a gun. Each time that there are violent crimes in the city, both Mayor Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy have championed this revision at every turn. Emanuel went so far to say, "In fact, I would like to ... note that the same minimum penalty we have for a gun law is what we have for shoplifting."
Illinois Man Held on $250K After DUI Charge
A Kenosha man is being held on $250,000 bond after he was charged with driving under the influence. The man allegedly crashed an SUV into a north suburban townhouse early in the morning on October 25. Driving under the influence in Illinois can carry strict penalties.
A Lake County judge charged Adam R. Bileck, 32, with aggravated driving under the influence, driving with a revoked driver’s license, driving without a valid driver’s license, and leaving the scene of the accident, according to the Chicago Tribune. His SUV reportedly veered off the road the morning of October 25, striking the house at 450 Patriot Drive in Hainsville before bursting into flames. The fire spread through the house.
New Illinois Law Aims to Cut Down on Wrongful Convictions
When you have been caught and accused of a crime, the legal procedure that should follow can quickly take a turn for the worse if the investigators pursue coercive interrogation. A great example of the horror that might unfold is the story of Juan Rivera, who spent 19 years in prison for a rape/murder that he never committed. His story is just one example of the many stories coming out of the term of Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge, who is accused of promoting torturous techniques to force people to confess.
A new law in Illinois is aimed to reduce the number of wrongful convictions that have led to high numbers of exonerations across the state. Known as Illinois SB1006, recordings of interrogations in violent crime cases will help to protect accused individuals. The interrogations in Rivera’s case were not recorded and in his case it was simply his word versus the police officers he was accusing.
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