Imagine the following: it is Thanksgiving night, and the clock is about to strike midnight. You are at a close relative’s home, enjoying some incredible food, as well as a few drinks.
Right as everyone else starts to leave, you get into your car to drive home. No more than a few minutes later, you pass a police car. This police car sees you and then signals for you to pull over.
You pull over, and the officer asks you to take a blood alcohol test. The blood alcohol test comes back with “.09” and, seconds later, you are charged with driving under the influence.
Going over the many ways in which a Thanksgiving DUI will change your life, and speaking with our Chicago DUI defense lawyers, will help you obtain the legal outcome you need.
What Happens If You Get A DUI?
The criminal consequences of a DUI in Illinois tend to be the following:
- You may be forced to pay a fine of no more than $2,500
- You will lose your license for one year.
- You may be forced to spend up to one year in jail.
None of these consequences is pleasant. And, losing your license – which is always supposed to happen – can prevent you from getting where you need to be, attending to your job, and traveling, among many other things.
If you have been convicted of a DUI in the past, you will likely:
- Be forced to spend at least five days in jail or perform 240 hours of community service.
- Lose your license for at least five years.
Both of these consequences are extremely unpleasant. And, for subsequent DUIs, they keep getting worse.
How Can A Thanksgiving DUI Change Your Life?
The answer to this question is dependent on your life. A DUI will, in most cases, change your life by:
- Preventing you from being able to drive for an extended period of time.
- Forcing you to spend a period of time in jail.
- It costs you an enormous amount of money, in court fees, DUI fees, and other assorted fees.
A good example of this is as follows: if you are forced to miss work due to spending time in jail, you may be fired as a result. This could lead to serious financial issues, including an inability to pay your bills.
What Should You Do If You Have Been Charged With A DUI On Thanksgiving?
You must speak with an attorney if you have been charged with a DUI on Thanksgiving. This is true regardless of what led to this charge or the overall facts of your particular case.
Your attorney will look at the facts of your case. Doing so will help them craft a defense tailored to these facts and the best possible legal outcome.
Just as an example, if you were pulled over, your attorney may question whether or not the officer had probable cause to do this. Or, they may question whether or not the test you took was administered properly.
No matter the facts of your case, if you have been charged with a DUI, you need an attorney.
We have been winning DUI cases for many years and are committed to helping you achieve the
legal outcome you deserve.
Get Qualified Legal Help Today
When facing a DUI charge, the quality of your legal representation can shape the course of your life. At Glasgow & Olsson, we don’t just practice DUI defense—we help define it.
Thomas Glasgow is widely recognized as a leading authority on DUI law in Illinois. He lectures statewide for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, contributes to the definitive DUI legal manual used by attorneys across the state, and is a trusted legal voice on major networks including ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox News.
When your freedom, reputation, and future are on the line, experience, judgment, and respect matter most.
Speak with our Chicago DUI defense attorneys today and learn how decades of trusted experience can protect what matters most to you.