It is 4 AM on Monday morning. It is also Memorial Day. You are leaving a close friend’s party. The party was lovely; you enjoyed some great food, a few drinks, and plenty of laughter.
Right before you can reach your home in Schaumburg, you notice a police car parked on the side of the road. You drive for just a few more seconds before the police car signals you to pull over.
The officer who has stopped you asks if you have been drinking. You say “Yes, but…” before the officer asks you to take a sobriety test. Unfortunately, you fail this test and, no more than a moment later, are charged with a DUI.
By going over the license suspension that a Memorial Day DUI can lead to, and speaking with a Schaumburg DUI defense attorney, it may be easier for you to obtain the DUI-related legal outcome you need.
What Happens If You Get A Memorial Day DUI?
If you get a Memorial Day DUI in Illinois, you may face the following penalties:
- A period of up to one year in jail.
- A fine of no more than $2,500.
- A license suspension of at least one year.
Every single one of these consequences is very serious. The latter consequence may be more significant than the others, though, depending on the life that you are currently living.
Outside of the consequences clarified above, if you have been convicted of one DUI in Illinois in the last twenty years or are convicted of an aggravated DUI under other circumstances, you may face the following penalties:
- You may be ordered to spend up to five days in jail or perform 240 hours of community service.
- You might have your license suspended for five years – or more – depending on the facts of your case.
- You may be sentenced to a prison term of up to seven years, depending on the circumstances.
None of the above is guaranteed. Yet, they can happen: the state of Illinois has very strict DUI laws.
How Can A License Suspension Affect Your Life?
A license suspension, after a DUI, can affect your life in many ways:
- If you drive to work, you will be unable to do so. You may need to take an Uber/taxi, have a family member drive you, or rely on some form of public transportation.
- If your work involves driving – or other forms of related transportation – you may be unable to perform the duties inherent to this job, which could lead to termination.
- If you drive to engage in your day-to-day tasks – grocery shopping, for example – you will be unable to perform these tasks in the way that you are accustomed.
- If you are forced to rely on Uber, taxis, or other forms of paid transportation, you may wind up spending far more money than you are accustomed to, just to get to the places you need to be.
- If you are unable to drive to work in the manner that you normally do, you may have a much more difficult time commuting to work. This could lead to your termination, depending on the facts of the situation.
Outside of those consequences, a DUI conviction can show up on your record. This can prevent you from securing certain types of housing, professional licenses, and jobs.
What Can You Do To Protect Your License, Livelihood, And Liberty?
To protect your license, livelihood, and liberty from the penalties associated with a Memorial Day DUI conviction, you should work with an attorney who has helped clients obtain favorable DUI outcomes.
The legal team at Glasgow & Olsson has helped many people obtain the best possible DUI outcomes. We can go over your case and craft a defense that helps you obtain the verdict you are seeking.
If you do not work with an attorney, you run the risk of obtaining a less-than-favorable legal outcome. This outcome may involve a license suspension, as well as other consequences that greatly affect your current life.
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 team today and learn how decades of trusted experience can protect what matters most to you.