How a Skilled Downers Grove DUI Lawyer Can Help You

Downers Grove DUI Lawyers Will Fight to Protect Your Rights

DUI (driving under the influence) charges are taken seriously in Illinois, but a Downers Grove DUI lawyer at Wolfe & Stec can help you avoid a conviction. If you have been arrested and charged with a DUI, your first step should be to call an experienced attorney.

DUI charges in Illinois mean facing serious consequences that may include:

• suspension of your license
• fines
• time in jail
• felony DUI charges if this is not your first drunk driving arrest.

In addition, a conviction means your insurance premiums will rise, and you will have a criminal record that will follow you forever and affect your prospects for education, jobs, and housing possibilities, as well as your family and social relationships.

At Wolfe & Stec, our DUI attorneys know how the system works and can look for weaknesses and errors in the prosecutor’s case to help combat these charges and have them lowered or dismissed. We will handle all the legal aspects of your case, answer your questions and concerns, and aggressively fight for your rights and your freedom

DUI circumstances vary greatly, depending on factors such as your blood alcohol level and the number of previous offenses, so we provide a free consultation to discuss your individual situation and determine the best way to proceed with your case. Delaying can only make your situation worse, so call Wolfe & Stec at 630-305-0222 today for your free, confidential consultation.

Downers Grove DUI Attorneys Explain What Is Considered a DUI

Our Downers Grove DUI Attorneys Can Answer All of Your DUI-Related Questions

Illinois statutes state that you can be arrested for a DUI for several reasons. 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, and methamphetamine.

Illinois has an Implied Consent Law. If you are driving and are stopped by an officer who has probable cause to believe you are impaired, you are considered to have agreed to provide a breath, blood, or urine sample. You will be deemed under the influence if:

• Your blood-alcohol content (BAC) is found to be .08 or more
• You have a THC level of 5 nanograms or more per milliliter of whole blood
• You have used any illegal substance or are impaired by medication.

There is zero tolerance for alcohol for drivers under the age of 21, so they can be charged with a DUI with any amount in the blood, with some exceptions.

DUI Lawyer in Downers Grove Fight to Reduce Penalties

Our Seasoned Downers Grove DUI Lawyers May be Able to Get Charges Reduced

Driving while impaired causes serious accidents and death and, as a result, penalties for drunk and drugged driving offenses are severe. Punishments get steeper in certain circumstances and with repeat offenses and may range from misdemeanors to felonies.

The following are some penalties for Illinois DUI:

1. First Offense — This is a Class A misdemeanor, unless there are injuries, when it may become a felony. Punishments may include:
   • Up to a year in jail and $2,500 in fines
   • A minimum of one-year license suspension
   • Installation of a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) with a camera unit on your vehicles.

2. Repeat Offenses – Punishments increase as follows:

• • Second DUI– license suspension of five years, jail time and fines
  • Third DUI – charge is now a felony, with three to seven years in jail, up to $25,000 in fines, and 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. If you are convicted of a Class 4 felony conviction, you face imprisonment of 1-3 years and fines of up to $25,000.

3. Aggravated DUI – A DUI becomes an aggravated DUI if you:

• • 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.

The stakes get higher if you have multiple DUI convictions. If you’re facing charges for a repeat drunk driving or high driving offense, talk with our DUI lawyer in Downers Grove to get skilled legal support and learn your options. Don’t risk your future by facing the justice system alone — contact a DUI attorney at Wolfe & Stec to stand by your side in the justice system. Call us today at 630-305-0222.

Ask Our DUI Attorney in Downers Grove About DUI Tests

Our Attorneys Will Review all Evidence to Challenge Your Drunk Driving Test

If a police officer suspects you are driving drunk or driving while high and stops you at a roadside safety check or for probable cause, reasonable suspicion, or unusual operation, the officer will ask you to take field sobriety tests. If these tests are positive for DUI probable cause, you will be arrested, taken to the police station, and asked to submit to chemical testing.

Your driver’s license will be suspended automatically if you either refuse or fail testing. If you are under 21 years old and refuse to submit to a BAC test, your license will be suspended for six months on your first violation and for two years for a second offense.

Tests for a DUI

There are several types of tests you will be asked to take, including:

1. Preliminary Breath Tests – For readings over .08, you will be placed under DUI arrest and made to take a chemical test, which is more accurate.

2. 2. Field Sobriety Tests, including:
      • The horizontal gaze nystagmus tests to find involuntary jerking of the eyes that often occurs when someone is intoxicated
      • The walk-and-turn test and the one-legged-stand test for balance and coordination.

If any of these tests were not administered or interpreted properly, your DUI defense attorney in Downers Grove can have them excluded.

3. 3. Chemical Blood or Urine Tests

These tests are more accurate and 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. Still, both blood and urine tests can be challenged in court based on how they were administered.

Our Downers Grove DUI attorneys can determine which are the best defenses in drunk driving cases in your individual situation. Call us at 630-305-0222 to get started.

Call Our DUI Lawyer in Downers Grove for Your Best Outcome

If you have been charged with a DUI in Illinois, our DUI lawyers in Downers Grove can make a major difference in how your case resolves. At Wolfe & Stec, our attorneys can help by:

• Examining the facts of your DUI arrest to determine the best defense
• Preparing you to go to court and keeping you from saying or doing anything that would hurt your case
• Making sure all forms are filed correctly and in a timely manner
• Negotiating and plea bargaining for a lesser charge
• Ensuring that you complete requirements, such as alcohol education or treatment programs.

We know the system and will look for prosecutor mistakes and reasons that test results can be excluded, such as irregularity in the chain of custody of samples or if an officer pulled you over without probable cause. We can get you off if you weren’t drinking but failed the field sobriety or breath test anyway.

Do not try to fight the system alone. Get skilled legal support from our Downers Grove 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 to find the best way to move forward.