The Illinois Secretary of State releases a publication every year that provides statistics about arrests for driving under the influence. The annual DUI Fact Book says that the number of arrests for drunk driving each year in our state is just under 50,000. To be clear, this is the number of arrests, and so it […]
The Illinois Secretary of State recently published its annual DUI Fact Book. The DUI Fact Book for 2012 is available for download here. Most of the information provided by the Secretary of State remains unchanged. The reason is rather few laws were passed during the last legislative session that will go into effect in the […]
As an attorney I cannot count the number of times clients say to me, “I did not get arrested for driving while suspended. I just got a ticket.” Many people are misinformed. The law in Illinois says that a person does not have to be handcuffed in order to be, in legal terms, arrested. A […]
The Associated Press interviewed me recently on new legislation in Springfield that would change parts of the vehicle code. Read the AP story from March 10, 2012. There is an important lesson about DUI laws in the article. Representative Jerry Costello, D-Smithton, introduced House Bill 5099 to make it illegal to use a cell phone […]
An arrest for driving under the influence in Illinois is recorded, in most respects, for all time. This is a distressing fact for someone who has never been arrested before. One bad decision can make for a lifetime of regret. But it does not have to be that way. The record of a DUI arrest […]
The Illinois legislature is currently debating a bill that would prohibit the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. At the present time, nine states in the country have already banned cell phone use while driving. However, hands free cell phone use is still legal in all those nine states. It is expected […]
Basically, the Illinois state government enforces the rules of the road in two ways: first, the police ticket drivers who violate the vehicle code, and the court can impose penalties such as fines and even jail time for criminal offenses. Second, the Secretary of State can impose sanctions on a person’s driving privileges as a […]
The spring and summer traffic season is fast approaching in the Chicago area. As is the case every year, motorists can expect increased delays due to construction, and holiday traffic jams. But motorists can also expect what has become an annual tradition on Chicago region highways: increased enforcement of work zone speed limits by automated […]
A person who is arrested for driving under the influence is confronted with two problems. First, he faces criminal penalties imposed by a court of law. At the present time, a first offense of DUI is categorized as a Class A misdemeanor offense. The potential penalties include up to one year in jail and a […]
If you were pulled over by a police officer and given a ticket for driving without a valid license, you are looking at some serious problems. Contrary to what many people believe, getting a ticket for driving without a valid license, 625 ILCS 5/6-101, is the same as getting arrested. Legally speaking, the fact that […]
- by Sami Azhari, DUI Lawyer
