Warrenville DUI Lawyer

Being charged with driving under the influence can be a shock for anyone. A conviction can mean facing serious penalties, including fines and potential jail time. That’s why it is so important for you to contact a Warrenville DUI lawyer as soon as you’ve been charged. With a lawyer by your side, you have a better chance of beating the charges and avoiding the worst consequences. If you’ve been charged with a DUI, the team at Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., can offer the aggressive defense you need. We have 30 years of experience and have helped clients throughout Illinois get the assistance they deserve.

Call us at 630-305-0222 to speak with a Warrenville DUI attorney. 

Why Choose Us?

Trusting Dependable Defense Attorneys

At Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., our Warrenville DUI lawyers offer skilled representation and fierce dedication to each of our clients. We know how frightening being charged with a crime can be, and we make sure that you know exactly what to expect as you go through the legal process. To do this, our team puts a lot of focus on thorough communication with our clients. We are always available to answer questions and address concerns.

Our years of experience make us a leading team of DUI defense attorneys. We are creative problem-solvers, so we’ll look at all defense options when working on your case. With the right team on your side, you have a chance to beat the DUI charges against you. You need a DUI defense lawyer, so choose people who have three decades of experience.

Understanding Warrenville DUIs

In Illinois, as in the rest of the country, you are considered to be intoxicated if your blood alcohol concentration level is 0.08% or more, you have used an illicit substance, or you have taken medications that cause impairing side effects. The penalties you face if you’re convicted depend on the type of offense you’re charged with and whether there are any aggravating factors, such as the following:

• Transporting a child 16 or younger
• Having a BAC of 0.16% or higher
• Driving a school bus while transporting children
• Driving without a valid license, permit, or insurance
• Driving a vehicle for hire and carrying one or more passengers
• Having a previous conviction of reckless homicide while DUI
• Driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road
• Causing an accident resulting in permanent disability, personal injury, or disfigurement
• Causing a death.

Recreational marijuana may have been legalized in Illinois in 2020, but it’s important to remember that you can still be charged with a marijuana DUI. You are not permitted to drive with a concentration of THC that is five or more nanograms per milliliter of blood or 10 or more nanograms in your saliva within two hours of being in control of a vehicle.

Penalties for a First DUI Conviction

If you’re convicted of a first DUI, you may face court supervision. It’s a Class A misdemeanor that typically involves paying a fine of up to $2,500 and losing your driving privileges for a year. Although it’s possible to be given a jail sentence of up to 12 months, rarely do first-time offenders serve this entire amount. You will likely have to complete community service hours.

Penalties for a Second DUI Conviction

A second DUI conviction is a Class A misdemeanor that has a mandatory jail sentence of five days or 240 hours of community service. You’ll lose your full driving privileges for a minimum of five years. It’s possible to be fined up to $2,500. If your BAC is 0.16 or more, you have a minimum fine of $1,250 and two days in jail.

Penalties for a Third DUI Conviction

Being convicted of a third DUI means facing felony penalties. You can have your driving privileges revoked for up to 10 years and could be sent to prison for seven years. The maximum fine you face is $25,000. Subsequent DUI convictions have increasingly more severe consequences, up to a Class X felony. That felony carries a prison term of 6 to 30 years and up to $25,000 in fines.

Penalties for Aggravated DUI

If you allegedly caused an accident that resulted in great bodily harm or disfigurement, you face an aggravated DUI conviction. That’s a Class 4 felony, which means a minimum mandatory 10 days in jail or 480 hours of community service. Depending on the circumstances, you could receive a sentence of up to 12 years in jail and up to $25,000 in fines.

Possible Defenses to DUI Charges

At Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., our Warrenville driving under the influence lawyers carefully assess each case and do a full investigation to put together a powerful defense strategy. Because each case is unique, the defenses we depend on will be specific to your circumstances. However, there are some important options that we can rely on.

Questioning the Legality of the Initial Traffic Stop

A driver can’t be stopped without a legal reason. If the officer didn’t have probable cause but stopped you anyway, resulting in your DUI charge, we can fight to have those charges against you dropped.

Challenging the Accuracy of Field Sobriety Tests

Field sobriety tests are notoriously inaccurate. The officer who stopped you may also not have experience performing them or may have conducted them improperly. We’ll investigate this part of the traffic stop and fight to get the evidence thrown out. Additionally, these tests don’t account for specific issues a person may have. For example, suppose that you have an inner ear issue that impacts your balance. In that case, a walk-and-turn or one-leg stand test can be difficult, especially if you’re nervous. We can use this in your defense.

Failing to Respect Your Rights

You have rights before, during, and after your arrest. If you don’t receive your Miranda warning at the right time or at all, our Illinois DUI defense attorneys can request to have a judge throw out any evidence that was obtained during questioning. Often, that’s enough to get charges dropped.

Questioning Lab Results

Our Warrenville driving under the influence attorneys will also look into the lab that handled all of the tests. If we find breaches in protocol or other similar issues, we will fight to have this evidence excluded.

DUI FAQs

If you’re facing DUI charges in Illinois, you likely have lots of questions about the process. Our criminal defense lawyers can help.

Will I lose my license if I’m arrested for a DUI?

If you refuse to take a breath, blood, or urine test, you can face a license suspension of up to 12 months. If you submit to a breath test and your BAC is higher than 0.08%, your license will be suspended for six months. Being convicted of a DUI will result in getting your driving privileges revoked. There are ways to get your license back that we can pursue. For instance, you may be eligible to obtain a driving permit, and we may even be able to challenge the suspension.

Why can’t I use a public defender to represent me?

Public defenders are an important part of the justice system, but they’re usually overloaded with cases. This renders them unable to truly focus on each client. You need lawyers who have the time to really delve into the case and give it the attention it deserves.

Something else to remember is that two separate proceedings take place when you’re charged with a DUI. A public defender can handle your criminal case, but they won’t be able to help you with your license suspension. Our criminal defense attorneys can represent you through all of these steps, giving you the comprehensive legal assistance you need.

Will I have to go to jail if I’m convicted?

The answer depends on your charges and circumstances. If it’s your first DUI offense, it’s unlikely that you’ll be given a jail sentence unless there are aggravating factors. However, each subsequent DUI offense can mean facing jail time. We will work tirelessly to help you get the best possible outcome.

Can I represent myself?

You should never represent yourself in criminal cases. Your future’s on the line, so it’s vital that you hire experienced lawyers. You likely don’t have the legal knowledge to effectively advocate for yourself, which could result in serious consequences that impact you for the rest of your life.

Do you have further questions? If so, contact our team of DUI lawyers to learn more about how we can help.

Relying on Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., After a DUI Charge

Providing Experienced and Aggressive Defenses

The moment you’re charged with a DUI, you need to contact our Warrenville DUI lawyers for assistance. At Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., we provide the aggressive representation you deserve. We’ll conduct thorough investigations and fight to have unlawfully obtained evidence thrown out. Don’t delay in getting the help you need when facing these charges.

Call our team at 630-305-0222 to schedule a consultation.