DUI & Traffic Ticket Lawyer in DuPage County

Start with three things today:

1. Gather your paperwork. Keep the tickets, the Notice of Summary Suspension, and any release or bond papers. They list your court date and the deadlines that matter.
2. Write down everything you remember while it is fresh: where you were, what you ate and drank and when, why you were stopped, which tests you were asked to do, and what the officer said.
3. Talk to a DUI attorney before your first court date and before the summary suspension deadline. Do not discuss the case with anyone else or post about it online.

Michelle offers a free consultation and can usually tell you where you stand in one call: 630.858.9800.

Possibly, and it can happen before your case is decided. Illinois uses a statutory summary suspension, an administrative suspension that is separate from the criminal DUI case. It begins on the 46th day after you receive the notice. For a first offender it is generally 6 months if a test showed a BAC of 0.08 or more, or 12 months if you refused testing. Repeat offenders face longer suspensions. The ticket usually serves as your license until the suspension starts.

Yes. Your attorney can file a petition to rescind the suspension. It must be filed within 90 days of when the notice was served. At that hearing, the court looks at issues such as whether the officer had grounds to stop and arrest you and whether the testing was done properly. Winning it can keep your license, and the hearing also gives your attorney sworn testimony from the officer to use in the criminal case.

Often, yes. Most first offenders are eligible for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP), which lets you drive any vehicle equipped with a breath-alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) during the suspension. Drivers who are not first offenders may be able to seek a restricted permit. Eligibility rules are strict, so ask about this at your consultation.

A first DUI with no aggravating factors is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, though jail is uncommon for a typical first offense. A conviction also brings a minimum one-year license revocation. In many first-offense cases, a negotiated outcome such as court supervision avoids a conviction, which is why the details of your arrest matter.

It is done now, so the useful question is what happens next. A refusal brings a longer summary suspension (12 months for a first offender instead of 6), but it also means the prosecutor has no test number to rely on. A refusal can still be challenged, for example if the officer did not properly warn you of the consequences. Michelle will look at how the refusal was recorded and whether the stop was lawful.

Generally no. Under Illinois law, a DUI, including a DUI that ended in court supervision, cannot be expunged or sealed. That is why the best time to protect your record is before the case is resolved. Many other offenses can be expunged or sealed, and Michelle can tell you whether you qualify.

For a simple ticket, not always, but often it is worth it. You should strongly consider a lawyer if the ticket says "must appear," involves speeding 26 mph or more over the limit, driving while suspended or revoked, no insurance, or an accident with injury, or if you hold a CDL. An attorney can often negotiate court supervision, which keeps the violation from becoming a conviction on your driving record.

The Illinois Secretary of State may suspend your license if you are convicted of three moving violations within 12 months. Drivers under 21 can be suspended after two convictions within 24 months. Supervision is generally not a conviction for this purpose, which is one of the main reasons to fight a ticket instead of just paying it.

Court supervision is a sentence where you complete conditions, such as paying fines, avoiding new tickets for a set period, or completing traffic school. When you finish, the case is dismissed without a conviction. It is not reported to insurance as a conviction and does not count toward a license suspension. Eligibility limits apply, so it is worth asking before you plead.

It means you cannot just pay the ticket. You, or in many cases your attorney, must appear in court on the date listed. Must-appear tickets are usually more serious offenses, such as high-speed speeding, driving while suspended, or a crash with injury. Missing the date can result in a warrant or a suspended license.