ILLINOIS SETS LEGAL LIMIT FOR MARIJUANA DUI'S

Illinois has recently amended the DUI statute dealing with marijuana DUI's. Previously, a person driving with any amount of cannabis in their system could be charged with a DUI, meaning if traces of cannabis were found in a person's system while driving several days after they ingested it, a person could be guilty of a DUI. The new law  makes it a violation to drive a motor vehicle with more than 5 ng of THC per ml of whole blood or 10 ng of THC per ml of any other bodily substance. Medically, 13 ng of THC is the closest equivalent to the 0.08 blood alcohol limit in terms of its affect on a person. causing impairment.

For more information about DUI's in general, feel free to contact one of our DUI attorneys and lawyers.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/

ST. PATRICK'S DAY IS A PRIME TIME FOR A DUI

First of all, happy St. Patrick's Day to those who celebrate the holiday. With that being said, if you plan on consuming alcoholic beverages today, be sure to arrange for public transportation or secure a designated driver. In Illinois, St. Patrick's Day is one of the top five days of the year for the issuance of DUI's. An increased number of officers on the road and additional sobriety points means those individuals driving under the influence are more likely to be cited for a DUI. If you are pulled over, please remember y our rights, but first and foremost, plan ahead so you do not end up at this point. Feel free to contact a DUI attorney at our office with any questions.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/

NEW DUI LAWS

On January 1, 2016, a change to the DUI laws will take effect.  The legislation eliminates statutory periods where a driver could not obtain relief from a statutory summary suspension or DUI revocation.  Examples of this is allowing drivers to obtain a Monitored Device Driving Permit from day the first day of the suspension and second-offender DUI drivers will be eligible to apply for a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) from the first day of the suspension  For more information on these laws, contact our experienced DUI attorneys.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/

DRIVER'S LICENSE REINSTATEMENT

If you received a DUI in Illinois where your license is suspended or revoked, you must apply for reinstatement to restore your driving privileges.  If you only have one DUI, an informal hearing with the Secretary of State will usually suffice.  However, more formal hearings are required for license reinstatement after a second or third DUI.  You must file a request for a hearing with the Secretary of State and bring all relevant evidence to present at your hearing.  Contact our DUI lawyers today to learn more about license reinstatement.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/

CAN MY DRIVER'S LICENSE BE SUSPENDED FOR UNPAID CHILD SUPPORT?

Under the "Deadbeats Don't Drive" law, a person's driver's license can be suspended for unpaid child support.  This would be reported by DCFS to the Secretary of State's office for processing.  An individual with a suspended license pulled over for a DUI could significantly complicate the matter and be cause for a much more expensive case. 

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/

NO REFUSAL WEEKENDS

In Illinois, a driver has the right to refuse to submit to sobriety testing when pulled over for suspicion of DUI.  If a driver does this, law enforcement typically needs to follow the normal channels in order to obtain a warrant to perform a chemical test on the driver.  These channels obviously take additional time, however, that seems to be changing.  Illinois is one of nine states which enacted "No Refusal Weekends."  Essentially, on specified weekends, law enforcement will have judges available to quickly obtain warrants in order to conduct the chemical testing much sooner than normal.  This basically eliminates any benefit of a driver refusing to submit to testing.  Many people are challenging the legality of these checkpoints  and claiming that they take away rights and freedom.  I'm sure we are not done hearing the debates about this law, and we will let you know when and if these legal challenges are resolved.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/

WHAT IS THE LICENSE SUSPENSION PERIOD FOR A 2ND DUI?

If an individual receives a second DUI and is either convicted or pleads guilty to the charge, they are looking at a mandatory license suspension.  If the individual does not submit to the field sobriety tests when pulled over for the second DUI, they could be looking at a 3 year license suspension.  However, if an individual does complete the field sobriety tests, he/she may only face a one year license suspension.  This also assumes that neither of the charges are aggravated DUI's and there are no other extenuating circumstances.  If you are facing a second DUI, please contact a DUI attorney with our office immediately to protect your rights.  

http://www.westmontattorneys.com/Traffic-DUI/