HOW DOES THE INTERLOCK IGNITION DEVICE WORK?

If you are required by the court to have an interlock ignition (BAIID) device installed in your car, you should be familiar with how it operates.  Once the device is installed, the driver must exhale into the device in order to start the engine.  If the breath indicates a blood-alcohol level (BAL) below .025, the car will start with no problem.  However, if the BAL is over .025, the engine will "lock" preventing you from starting the car, and a notification will be sent to authorities alerting them that you tried to start your car after consuming alcohol.

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ARE "ROADIES" ILLEGAL?

We are often asked by clients if "roadies" are illegal, and if so, who could be convicted?  Roadies are beers or alcoholic beverages that are drank in the vehicle on the way to an event or party.  The easy answer is yes, roadies are illegal, and the driver is the one who will get in trouble.  In Illinois, it is illegal to carry an open bottle of alcohol, even if it is wine or hard alcohol that has been re-corked.  The penalty includes a $750 fine and could also include a DUI conviction.

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GEORGE RYAN, JR. ARRESTED FOR DUI

Former Governor George Ryan's son was arrested for a DUI last week when he was found sleeping behind the wheel of a pickup truck that was running.  The vehicle was founfd parked across several lanes in a White Castle drive-thru in Bradley, Illinois.

ANOTHER BUS DRIVER CITED FOR DUI WITH CHILDREN ABOARD

In what is becoming an increasingly common (and alarming) event, another bus driver was cited for DUI with four children aboard his school bus.  It started when another vehicle reported his erratic driving to authorities, who then pulled over the school bus driver, 41 year-old Kenny Sellers.  Sellers failed a street sobriety test and was taken to police headquaters where he allegedly tried to escape and fought with an officer.  In total, Kenny received seven citations, including aggrevated DUI because there were children aboard, as well as aggrevated battery against a police officer.  Remember from previous posts that a DUI becomes and aggrevated DUI upon the existance of a special circumstance, such as having a minor in your vehicle, which severely increases the fines and penalties.

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US SUPREME COURT MAY BAN FORCED BLOOD DRAWS

A forced blood draw is when authorities draw blood from an unwilling suspect in order to test his blood-alcohol level.  The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled in the past that "reasonable" force is permitted for forced blood draws throughout the state.  Recently, that same court ruled that when five people held down a suspect to withdraw blood, that was a bit excessive and unreasonable.  However, before further cases are settled under this Illinois ruling, there is a chance the US Supreme Court may step in and ban forced blood draws altogether with several cases currently pending on their docket.

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UPDATE: MARK GRACE INDICTED ON FOUR FELONY COUNTS

In an update from a previous posting, former Chicago Cub Mark Grace was indicted on four felony accounts including driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, and driving without an interlock device (portable breathalyzer).  Mark Grace could face up to four years in prison if convicted, although, he would likely serve significantly less than that because the sentences would run concurrently.

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FORMER CUB MARK GRACE MAY FACE FELONY DUI CHARGE

According to Maricopa County police officers in Arizona, former Chicago Cubs first baseman Mark Grace may be facing a felony DUI charge after being arretsed for suspicion of DUI in Scottsdale last month, his second in less than 15 months.  Grace had been working as a television broadcaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but has been on an indefinite leave of absence since the first arrest.  Following his first arrest, Grace was required to drive with an interlock ignition device, but has been charged with a failure to use the device in addition to driving with a blood alcohol level of .095, more than the legal limit of .08.

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