Get Help from a Skilled Bolingbrook DUI Lawyer
Our Bolingbrook DUI Lawyers Will Fight for You
If you have been charged with a DUI (driving under the influence) in Illinois, you face serious consequences, including jail time, but a Bolingbrook DUI lawyer at Wolfe & Stec may be able to help get your charges reduced or completely avoid a conviction.
According to Illinois statutes, there are several reasons that you can be arrested for a DUI. These include operating a motor vehicle while impaired by:
- alcohol
- other drugs, including cannabis (marijuana), even if prescribed for medical purposes
- illegal substances, intoxicating compounds or combinations of intoxicating compounds that leave you incapable of driving safely
- any amount of an unlawfully used controlled substance that is found in breath, blood, or urine.
DUIs are a major cause of injury and death, so are taken seriously. In addition to punishments that may include fines and jail time, you may face felony DUI charges if this is not your first drunk driving arrest. Your license may be suspended, your insurance premiums will rise, and you will have a permanent criminal record that negatively affects your prospects for education, jobs, and housing. You may lose your job and your family, and your social relationships may never be the same.
Do not try to fight these charges alone. The Bolingbrook DUI attorneys at Wolfe & Stec have extensive experience fighting DUI charges. We know the judges, the courts, and the system and how to find weaknesses and errors in the prosecutor’s case to help combat the charges and have them lowered or dismissed. We will be at your side, taking care of all paperwork, court appearances, and legal aspects of your case. We will support you throughout the process, answer your questions and concerns, and aggressively fight for your rights.
We provide a free consultation to discuss your individual situation and determine the best way to move forward. Delaying can only make your situation worse, so call Wolfe & Stec at 630-305-0222 today for your free, confidential consultation.
Our Bolingbrook DUI Attorneys Explain DUI Tests
Our Team Knows Tests May Not Be Accurate
Illinois has an Implied Consent Law. If an officer has probable cause to believe you are driving impaired, arrests you and asks you to provide a breath, blood, bodily substance, or urine sample, you are considered to have given consent for testing. You will be considered DUI if:
- Your blood-alcohol content (BAC) is found to be .08 or more
- You have used any illegal substance or are impaired by medication, even if legal
- You have a THC level of 5 nanograms or more per milliliter of whole blood
- If you are under the age of 21 with any amount in the blood.
Implied consent is only for situations where a police officer has arrested you for DUI and has probable cause for the arrest. If you have not been arrested, you have the right to refuse chemical testing. Even if implied consent comes into play, you still can generally refuse chemical testing, but there are penalties for refusal, including a 12-month suspension of your driver’s license.
Be aware that a BAC number isn’t always required for a conviction. The judge or jury will be told that you refused testing, and the prosecutor will introduce other evidence such as:
- Results of any field sobriety tests
- Police observation of any signs of impairment, such as slurred speech, unsteady gait, bloodshot eyes, or odor of alcohol.
Our DUI Attorneys in Bolingbrook Can Help if You Are Stopped for a DUI
Our Attorneys Will Look for Ways to Challenge Your Arrest
No field sobriety test is completely accurate, and your DUI defense attorney in Bolingbrook can challenge results and have them excluded if they have not been administered or interpreted properly.
Chemical blood or urine tests are more accurate than field sobriety tests but must be administered by licensed medical professionals at a medical facility and be collected, labeled, sealed, and authenticated in a law enforcement officer’s presence. If any of these steps were not done properly, they can be challenged in court.
If you have received driver notification of a summary suspension based on breathalyzer or other chemical test refusal, you are entitled to a hearing. We may be able to refute the suspension for reasons such as proving that…
- You were not under arrest when you refused the test
- The law enforcement officer did not advise you of the consequences of refusal.
Our Bolingbrook attorneys can determine which are the best defenses in your individual situation.
DUI Lawyers in Bolingbrook Explain Charges and Penalties
Our Lawyers May Get Charges Reduced or Eliminated
If you are arrested for a DUI, potential punishments vary greatly, depending on factors such as your blood alcohol level, where the DUI took place, and whether you had a previous DUI. Charges may range from misdemeanors to felonies, and punishments get steeper with each repeat offense and under certain circumstances, as follows:
- First Offense — This is a Class A misdemeanor but becomes a felony if there are injuries. Punishments may include:
- A minimum of one-year license suspension
- Up to a year in jail and $2,500 in fines
- Installation of a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) with a camera unit on your vehicles.
- Second DUI – This brings license suspension of five years, jail time and fines.
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- Third DUI – Charges associated with a third DUI become a felony with three to seven years in jail, up to $25,000 in fines, and a license suspended for a minimum of ten years.
In addition, a DUI may become a felony punishable by more than a year in jail if you have past traffic convictions or if you were driving without a valid driver’s license. A conviction for a Class 4 felony may bring imprisonment of 1-3 years and fines of up to $25,000.
- Aggravated DUI – A DUI becomes an aggravated DUI if you:
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- were driving without a license or insurance
- caused bodily harm to a minor under 16 or while driving through a school zone
- were driving a school bus with at least one passenger under 18.
An aggravated DUI with multiple deaths is a class X felony and brings penalties that may include prison for 6-30 years and fines of up to $25,000.
If you are facing charges for a repeat drunk driving or high driving offense, the stakes are high and your future is at risk, so talk with our DUI lawyers in Bolingbrook today at 630-305-0222.
Call Our DUI Lawyer in Bolingbrook for Help
If you have been charged with a DUI in Illinois, our Wolfe & Stec DUI lawyers in Bolingbrook can help by:
- Finding the best way to defend you based on the facts of your DUI
- Preventing you from saying or doing anything that would hurt your case
- Preparing you for all hearings and court appearances
- Making sure all required forms are filed correctly and in a timely manner
- Negotiating and plea bargaining for a lesser charge
- Ensuring that you keep out of additional trouble by completing requirements such as alcohol education or treatment programs.
Police officers and prosecutors often make mistakes such as irregularity in the chain of custody of samples or stopping you without probable cause. We know how to look for such errors and use them to your advantage. In addition, we can get you off if you failed the field sobriety or breath test, despite your not having been drinking.
Your future is too important to risk. Get skilled legal support from our Bolingbrook DUI attorneys at Wolfe & Stec to help you get the best possible outcome. Call us at 630-305-0222 today for your free initial consultation.
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