So You Have Been Arrested For Alleged Drunk Driving For the Fourth Time in Your Life...

 Posted on February 22,2019 in DUI

If you are facing drunk driving charges, and you have previous DUI arrests, you are probably overwhelmed with the thoughts about what will happen to you. Am I going to the county jail, or is it the Illinois Department of Corrections for me this time? Will I ever be able to drive a car again in my lifetime? Will I ever regain my sobriety?

The first step you should take is to consult with Ramsell & Kunowski, L.L.C., LLC. Do not obsess over “what ifs” or try to figure out your options through a Google search. What you are dealing with is a felony, not a misdemeanor, and things will seem more intimidating, by design. The judge will be more experienced, and the prosecution team will be the best available.

At a free, no-obligation consultation with our attorneys, we will answer your most likely panicked questions and address your concerns, helping you focus productively on your defense. Our clients have told us that they began to feel much less anxiety and became more confident about their options after speaking to Ramsell & Kunowski, L.L.C.. 

With all that in mind, here are some basic guideposts for what you can expect in a fourth-time DUI case in Illinois. 

1. After arrest and booking, you will be transported from a local police department to the county jail. Instead of a bond that is set rather informally at the police station, you will have to remain in the county jail until you can have a bond hearing in front of a bona fide circuit court judge, and you will not be released until you can post that bond.
2. Most likely you or a family member will not be able to reach out to us until after you have had your bond hearing, but we can immediately jump in and file a motion to reduce your bond both in terms of monetary and non-monetary conditions.  
3. If you are convicted of DUI for a fourth time, this is a mandatory minimum of three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. It is possible you may have time you spent pending release on bond from the county jail that can be deducted from any ultimate sentence. This is a frequently overlooked detail, but the professionals at Ramsell & Kunowski, L.L.C. can counsel you on this, so you get all the credit you have coming. Many defendants have spent more time in prison than is necessary because they hired an inexperienced lawyer or agreed to the services of the public defender. 
4. As for your driving privileges, if you are convicted a fourth time for DUI, your driving privileges will be revoked for the remainder of your lifetime. Moreover, the registration on your motor vehicle will be suspended. 
5. Beyond the large amount of mandatory minimum prison time upon a fourth conviction, the other penalties are enhanced as well. If you are convicted with a BAC of .16 or more, you will have a minimum fine of $5,000, plus additional court costs and mandatory fees. If you had a child under the age of 16 in the car at the time of arrest, you are looking at a mandatory fine of $25,000 AND 25 days of community services benefitting children. 

Do not hesitate. Contact a DuPage County DUI defense lawyer today at 630-665-8780 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.