CHICAGO SUBURBS WITH THE MOST DUI'S

There have been a lot of statistics released lately regarding DUI's issued around the state.  By far, it looks at though the western suburbs of Chicago lead the area when it come to DUI's issued, not including the city of Chicago itself.  Naperville, which always seems to be near the top in DUI's, finished second last year behind Rockford.  In terms of highest amount of arrests per officer, Itasca led the state in that category with 11.48 arrests per officer.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com

HOW DO I GET SUPERVISION FOR MY DUI?

Typically, first-time DUI offenders will have an opportunity to seek supervision following their DUI.  In order to qualify for supervision, which is usually offered at the discretion of the prosecuting attorney, the blood-alcohol level must be reasonable, there must be little or no damage, no injuries or fatalities, and no aggrevating circumstances such as driving through a construction zone or a school zone.  If an offender obtains supervision, this is basically a probationary period where if the individual does not have any subsequent arrests or citations provoking the prosecuting attorney to wish to revoke the supervision, the offender will not be considered convicted of a DUI and will not have his or her license revoked.  Contact one of our DUI attorneys to day for more information.

http://www.westmontattorneys.com

HOW MUCH DOES A DUI END UP COSTING?

There are a lot of fees and fines associated with obtaining a DUI in Illinois. First of all, first time offenders will likely be looking at court fees of $500 to $2,500. Legal bills for a qualified DUI attorney will run between $1,000 and $10,000 depending on the type of attorney you hire and how you plead. If you plead not guilty and require a full trial, attorney costs will likely be in the range of $7,500-$9,000 as opposed to if you plead guilty where you may face fees of $1,000 to $3,000. If you have to get a BAIID device installed, you are looking at an additional $500-$700 in installation and fees. You likely will also be required to attend alcohol classes which can run between $150 and $750. Finally, if your licnese is suspended, it will typically cost you several hundred dollars to get your license reinstated. In our experience, the average total cost of a DUI is around $6,000 for a first time offender who pleads guilty and $11,000 for a first time offender found guilty at trial, although this can vary greatly depending on the severity of the crime, prior convictions, aggrevating factors, etc. Contact a DUI attorney today for a free consultation.

WCZ
http://www.westmontattorneys.com

DO MY BAC LEVELS AFFECT THE PENALTIES OF MY DUI

Yes, if you blood alcohol level is over .16, the minimum fine and community service hours will increase. Also, the higher your BAC is, the more unlikely you will be able to reach a satisfactory plea agreement with the prosecutor should you want to do that. Generally, blood alcohol levels bewteen .08 and .15 are viewed as a minimal offender and often able to avoid the harsh penalties associated with the higher levels.

WCZ
http://www.westmontattorneys.com

WHAT IS A DUI EVALUATION?

In Illinois, if you are convicted or plead guilty to a DUI charge, yo will be required to complete a DUI evaluation and the findings will be presented to your judge. The purpose of this evaluation is to notify the court of your risk level to potentially receive another DUI. You can be classified as a minimal, moderate, or high/significant risk, and the judge and prosecutor will review these results prior to issuing any sentencing or offering a plea deal.

WCZ
http://www.westmontattorneys.com

HOW DO I GET MY LICENSE REINSTATED AFTER A DUI?

In order to reinstate your license following a DUI, you must first complete all of the requirements set forth by the court such as completing any alcohol evaluations, finish court mandated classes, paying all applicable fines, etc. Once that is done and any suspension period expires, you can then approach the Secretary of State's Office to attempt to obtain your license. Generally, if it was your first DUI, you can schedule an informal hearing with the SOS, which is must easier. If it was your second or third DUI, you will ne required to schedule a formal hearing with additional information needed to present to the panel. Our attorneys represent clients in all aspects of license reinstatement, so call us today if you need a DUI attorney to assist you in these matters.

WCZ
http://www.westmontattorneys.com

WHAT ARE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INSTALLING A BREATHALYZER IN YOUR CAR?

Currently in Illinois, if you are convicted of a DUI, you may be forced to install a breathalyzer, or BAIID device in your vehicle. BAIID stands for Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device, which will register the driver's blood alcohol level when starting the car. The cost to have one of these devices installed in usually around $75, however, there is also a monthly fee associated with the device, which usually runs around $45 a month. Finally, you may have to pay to have the device installed, which can run another $50-$75.

WCZ
http://www.westmontattorneys.com