Sami Azhari, Attorney at Law
Driving under the influence is a misdemeanor offense with a potential sentence of up to one year in the Cook County jail. The arrest is followed by a statutory summary suspension that deprives the motorist of a driver’s license for 6 months, 12 months, or even 36 months.
However, the driver can seek a hearing to reinstate driving privileges, so an attorney should be consulted as soon as practicable.
All DUI offenses are prosecuted by the Cook County State’s Attorney, unless it is a village prosecution (which is rare). The cases are heard by judges in all six municipal district courts: Chicago Daley Center, Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview, and Markham.
NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect the law as of 2020. The penalties listed are the most recent penalties pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/11-501. The penalties for an arrest for driving under the influence in Illinois were increased in 2011 and those penalties exist today. A second offense of DUI is still a […]
If the defendant is found guilty of driving under the influence, the court will proceed to sentencing. It is during the sentencing stage of a case that a person risks having his driver’s license revoked, and being incarcerated in jail. As of 2019, the law in Illinois allows the judge to sentence the defendant to […]
Driving under the influence is a crime that has generally remained the same over the years. The elements are basically that the defendant was: 1) driving and 2) under the influence. While the elements of the offense remain unchanged, the penalties for DUI change every year. And they change in only one direction, they are […]
The Illinois State Police and north suburban police departments are teaming up this summer in a traffic enforcement initiative called “Operation Rogue Rider.” The effort will target motorcyclists who are speeding or riding recklessly on the Edens Expressway (I-94) in Skokie and Lincolnwood. I-94 in that area is narrow, with only four lanes traveling in […]
The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) has released the results of its 2011 survey of police departments across the state concerning DUI. The non-profit advocacy group takes a survey each year of all police departments and uses the information to compile statistics about arrests by each department, county, etc. The police departments’ participation in the […]
Driving under the influence is the only offense in Illinois that requires the offender to undergo an evaluation before sentencing. The evaluation is mandated by statute. There is one exception to this rule, and it shows how seriously the law treats a DUI. The only other case in which the defendant is required to have […]
Call the cops on a drunk driver, win $100. This is the Drunk Busters program in Illinois sponsored by the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM). Drunk Busters started in Illinois in 1990 and has spread nationwide. AAIM promises to pay $100 to anyone who calls 911 to report an intoxicated driver and later the call […]
A preferred outcome in many driving under the influence cases is reckless driving. The reason is reckless driving does not impact a person’s driving privileges in the same way as a DUI. The Secretary of State is mandated by law to revoke the driver’s license of any person who is convicted of DUI. The statute […]
Many people are confused about the difference between a summary suspension and supervision. The two may sound alike, but they are very different. A summary suspension concerns your driver’s license. Your license to drive is suspended usually 46 days after an arrest for driving under the influence. The suspension is called a statutory summary suspension. […]
Another year comes and another set of penalties for driving under the influence in Illinois. The law in Illinois on DUI changes every year. The reasons for this include the fact that ambiguities in earlier statutes are detected or become problematic in court, and these instances are reported to state lawmakers. Another reason the law […]
- by Sami Azhari, DUI Lawyer
