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Your BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is what determines if you'll be charged with a DUI (driving under the influence) in Chicago, Illinois. If police measure your BAC at 0.08 percent or higher, you are legally considered "intoxicated" and will be charged with DUI. If your BAC is at 0.05 or above but below 0.08, you are not considered intoxicated but you may still be charged with DUI (driving under influence) if the police can prove you are somehow impaired. If your BAC is above 0.16 percent, you are classed as ‘driving while under the extreme influence’ and will be subject to harsher penalties than a normal DUI charge. Penalties for being guilty of DUI depend on your circumstances. If your BAC shows you are intoxicated and you are over 21, your penalty will be a 12-month license suspension. If you are under 21, you will face a minimum of 2 years suspension. However, you should note that a court may chose not to impose a license suspension for first-time offenders. 'Court supervision' may be ordered by the judge instead. Depending on the case, this could be mandatory enrollment in an alcohol treatment program, community service, etc.. If you are charged with DUI a second time, you will not be given another chance; compelling evidence is needed for a judge to impose court supervision. If it is your second time offending, your license will be suspended for at least 5 years if the offense took place within 20 years of your first. Harsher penalties and longer suspensions typically result if you have a commercial driver's license in Illinois. You may also go to jail and/or be fined if charged with a DUI, in addition to having your license suspended. If you are a first-time offender, your penalties can include: mandatory community service, a jail term of up to a year, a fine of up to $2,500 and you may have to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. If you are a second-time offender, you'll definitely have to install an ignition interlock device and will face a longer community service period. A DUI charge a third time (or greater) is called 'Aggravated DUI'. Not only will you be fined up to $25,000 and spend 3-7 years in jail, you will have a minimum 10-year driving ban. If you are offending for a fourth time, you will be banned from driving for life. You will go to jail without probation or conditional discharge if charged with driving under the extreme influence after a fourth offense. This is in addition to the same penalties for DUI and aggravated DUI. Finally, if you are charged with DUI and there is a child (under 16) in the car with you, you will be charged with DUI with child endangerment. You can spend 6 months in jail, be fined up to $2,500, be assigned 25 hours of community service and have your license suspended for a year after your first offense. Penalties for a second, or greater, offense include a fine of up to $2,500, a license suspension of five years and up to 3 years in jail. If you or a family member has been arrested in Chicago for a DUI, you must talk to a DUI Lawyer in Chicago immediately. Obviously, the laws are difficult to interpret and you must have a professional working with you to develop the most successful defense strategy. When looking for legal counsel to properly represent you, you need to find a DUI Attorney in Chicago who specializes in drunk driving defense. Having a specialized team of attorneys working for you goes a long way in having a successful outcome to your case.Chicago DUI attorney Chicago DUI lawyer Chicago DUI law attorney
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