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posted on 3/11/22

A young woman is bar hopping downtown with a bunch of her friends, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. They stop to see the Chicago River dyed green, drink green beer at a number of pubs, and enjoy the beautiful weather as they explore the Loop. When day turns to dusk, she and her friends are ready to head home. Just as she is about to get an Uber on her phone, one of her friends offers to drive her home, instead. Since it will save her a $50 ride to the suburbs, and her friend assures her she stopped drinking hours ago, she agrees. On their way home, though, they encounter a sobriety checkpoint, and are randomly selected for BAC testing. When her friend blows over the legal limit, the young woman is stunned. Now, her friend is facing criminal charges for DUI.

Given that St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday celebrated primarily by consuming green beer, it is no surprise that there are more drunk drivers on St. Patrick’s Day than there are on nearly any other day of the year. This means that police dramatically increase their presence on St. Patrick’s day, stationing more state troopers on highways and officers and DUI checkpoints all over Illinois. If you are planning to go out on St. Patrick’s Day, it is best to plan not to drive. Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft can be a good alternative to getting behind the wheel. However, if you are charged with DUI, it is important to contact a lawyer and schedule a consultation to determine what legal options you have and how best to approach the criminal defense process. Just because you have been charged with a crime, does not mean that you have to be convicted.

How a Lawyer Can Help You Overcome a DUI Charge

If you have been charged with DUI in Illinois, you are facing the possibility of serious penalties, including up to a year in prison, even if it is your first time being charged. If you have been charged or convicted previously, the penalties are even more severe. Additionally, it is common for a DUI to be charged along with other violations of the law, such as if you were involved in a vehicle collision while under the influence, or if you were driving recklessly. If someone was killed in a car accident that you were involved in while drunk, you are likely looking at very serious felony charges that could keep you in jail for years if convicted.

These charges and their penalties can add up, and it can be complicated to try and defend yourself against so many different and complex statutes in criminal court without the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Your lawyer will do everything that they can to get your charges dismissed. You may have grounds to have your charges dismissed if your DUI arrest involved procedural issues or a lack of probable cause, which would result in a violation of your constitutional rights. Your lawyer may also be able to negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution, allowing you to plead guilty or no contest to a lesser offense, or in order to drop some of the other charges against you. Many times, your lawyer will be able to use a plea bargain to keep you out of jail. If the matter does proceed to court, your lawyer can assert various legal defenses to keep the jury from convicting you of impaired driving.

Schedule a Consultation with Glasgow & Olsson Criminal Trial Lawyers

When you need an attorney, experience matters. If you are facing charges for DUI in Illinois, our lawyers are ready to help. The criminal defense attorneys at Glasgow & Olsson, serving Schaumburg, Illinois, will fight to keep you out of trouble so that you can move on with your life. Contact Glasgow & Olsson today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can help you.