If you are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), you already know how life-changing it can be. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the arrest, you may be facing anything from probation to up to 10 years in prison. A hefty fine and monetary restitution may also be imposed.
If you are not incarcerated, you may be required to have a interlock ignition device installed on your car, which means you have to blow into a machine attached to your car, which will only start if your blood alcohol content (BAC) is zero. You can be required to use a secure, continuous, remote alcohol monitor (SCRAM) which attaches to your ankle and continuously monitors the level of your alcohol consumption.
There are collateral consequences that accompany an arrest and conviction for DUI. Your driver’s license may be either suspended or revoked. Your car insurance premiums will skyrocket. Divorced parents risk losing custody or visitation rights. You may lose your job. If you have a professional license, it may be taken away and you may not be able to ever get it back.
In addition to the criminal charges, you face an administrative hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regarding the status of your driver’s license. With so much at risk, you need the services of an experienced defense attorney who will fight for your rights. Call Heather Ryan Law where you will find a Naperville DUI attorney or a Chicago DWI lawyer to help.
Heather Ryan Law has the experience you need to have on your side
At Heather Ryan Law, we have over 25 years of experience defending defendants on DUI charges. We will meet with you and investigate all the facts of the case. We review all police reports and evidence the prosecutor plans to use against you. We make sure you understand what steps we need to take in your defense. Some defenses that may be available to you include, but are not limited to:
- Challenging the automatic suspension of your driver’s license if you refused to submit to chemical testing at the time of the stop. A challenge must be made within a certain number of days after your arrest or you will have your license suspended and you will have no recourse.
- Field sobriety tests were performed under conditions that make the results unreliable.
- Breathalyzer test results are invalid due to the test being administered by an untrained officer, the test was not properly conducted, the machine was not correctly calibrated, or conditions existed that resulted in the return of a false positive.
The blood test results are inaccurate due to improper collection and storage, among other challenges that can be made.
