Plainfield DUI Attorneys

The penalties for a DUI conviction in Illinois depend on the particular facts of each case. For instance, a judge will take a driver’s age and whether he or she has a prior record of driving violations into account during sentencing. Retaining an experienced Plainfield DUI attorney is one of the best ways to ensure that a judge is aware of your own circumstances and will also give you the best chance of having your charges reduced or even dismissed.

Penalties for a DUI Conviction

In Illinois, a person driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or more can be charged with driving under the influence. In fact, law enforcement officers can even arrest someone with a lower BAC, as long as it doesn’t drop below .05, but only if there is other evidence that a driver is impaired. Drivers can also be charged if:

• They have five or more nanograms of THC in their blood or ten or more nanograms in their urine;
• Evidence of a controlled substance is found in their system; or
• They were impaired by medication.

Fortunately, those who are charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can raise a number of defenses, including that the breathalyzer test was improperly conducted, that the officer’s initial stop of their vehicle was unlawful, or that their behavior was attributed to something besides intoxication, including illness or fatigue.

DUI Penalties

The penalties for a DUI depend on a number of factors, including the driver’s age and BAC, whether the driver has been convicted of driving under the influence on a prior occasion, and whether any passengers under the age of 16 years old were in the car at the time of the arrest. For instance, first time DUI offenders are generally charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which means that they could lose their license for up to a year. However, if the driver had a BAC of .16 or more, he or she will also be required to pay a $500 fee and perform at least 100 hours of community service. If a child under the age of 16 years old was in the car, penalties are enhanced even further and the driver could end up spending six months in prison, paying a $1,000 fine, and performing 25 days of community service.

Subsequent convictions are punishable by jail time and heftier fines, in addition to much longer driver’s license suspension periods. For instance, a person convicted of a second DUI could lose his or her license for at least five years, while third time offenders could have their licenses revoked for ten years.

Call Today to Speak with a Dedicated Plainfield DUI Attorney

If you were recently arrested for or charged with driving under the influence, please call Sabuco Beck, P.C. at 815-730-8860 to discuss your case with an experienced Plainfield DUI attorney. A member of our legal team is standing by and eager to help you throughout each step of your case.