Trust An Experienced Traffic DUI/Defense Attorney
The most common traffic violations can have serious consequences, including fines, points added to your license by the state, and increased insurance rates. If you have been stopped and charged with intoxicated driving, even a first-time DUI arrest has stiff penalties, including a six- to 12-month suspension of your driver’s license; fines and court costs; a court-ordered alcohol evaluation; and probation for up to two years. My firm, the Law Office of Scott W. Brammer, has worked with clients throughout Illinois who have faced traffic violations and DUI charges. I can discuss potential solutions based on your situation.
Ways That Speeding Tickets Affect You
The first and most obvious way that a speeding ticket affects you is the fine that accompanies a speeding ticket. A speeding ticket in Illinois will cost you at least $120 of your hard-earned cash and may cost more depending on your speed and circumstances. Speeding in a construction zone will cost you at least $375, but judges have been known to double this amount to $700!
Your auto insurance rates will usually not be affected by just a single speeding ticket, but several in one year may cause your premiums to increase. Your license may be suspended or revoked if you are convicted of speeding three times or more within a 12-month period.
Understanding The Illinois Point System
Illinois has a license “points” system that assigns a certain number of points to each speeding conviction or another convicted traffic offense. The duration of your license suspension or revocation depends on how many points you accumulate on your license.
How To Fight A Speeding Ticket
Whenever possible, it is advantageous to fight a traffic ticket so that convictions and/or points do not accumulate. Many judges will allow you to plead to a lesser charge or even avoid a conviction by attending traffic school. However, if alcohol or drugs are involved, leniency is less likely, and penalties increase substantially.
For most people, getting a traffic ticket or speeding ticket is their only contact with law enforcement or the court system. Having an attorney who knows the systems can help you deal with what can be an overwhelming situation. I have extensive experience in the traffic courts of McHenry and surrounding counties and will work hard to protect your rights and help protect your driving privileges.
Dealing With DUI Charges
A charge of driving under the influence (DUI) can have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences to your life. During the field sobriety testing and arrest process, you should be polite and compliant, but assert your right to remaining silent without a lawyer present. Once you have been released from police custody following a DUI, you should find a lawyer who is experienced in defending those accused of DUI.
Your arraignment, which is the first step of the trial process, will occur within a few days of your DUI arrest. You gain nothing and risk everything if you don’t have adequate legal representation. Being convicted of DUI carries with it costs and penalties that can be more expensive than your defense fees.
When the judge asks how you will plead, the best answer to give – indeed, the only answer you should give – is not guilty. Pleading guilty or no contest will seriously hurt any chance you have of beating the charge or having the severity of the fines and penalties levied against you reduced. Even if you feel that you have no chance of winning your case, your lawyer may see things differently.
Your license will be suspended automatically following a DUI arrest, though not until the 46th day after the date of your DUI arrest.
You have 90 days from the date of your DUI arrest to challenge the summary suspension, but it’s in your best interest to challenge it before the suspension automatically goes into effect because you will not be allowed to drive during the first 30 days of the suspension. First-time DUI offenders may apply for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP), which allows an individual to drive upon the installation of a breath alcohol ignition interlock device; however, regardless of whether or not you are approved for an MDDP, you cannot drive during the first 30 days of the suspension.
Call Now To Schedule A Consultation
Having an experienced attorney on your side can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. Among other things, I can aggressively challenge the suspension of your license, help you retain driving privileges while waiting for your case to be tried, or even challenge the validity of the case against you. Call my firm today at 815-324-7467 or contact me online for a free initial consultation in your DUI case.