After completing his MBA, a young man in Chicago finally gets his dream job. Full of good spirit, he decides to go out and celebrate with his fiance. He has a couple of drinks at the restaurant, and does not feel buzzed at all when he decides to drive home. While he is driving home, he begins to daydream about his new job, and collides with another vehicle.
He assumed that the other driver was at fault, but police officers at the scene asked him to engage in a field sobriety test. Now the man is facing charges for a DUI and he is concerned that his career and future could be in jeopardy. Like many other people who have been charged with a DUI, he is wondering whether he can keep his driver’s license to commute to and from his new job.
Driver’s License Suspension Hearings
There are two different types of cases you will be part of after your DUI arrest. The first involves the criminal charges against you for a DUI and any other traffic tickets you received. The second involves your license suspension. When it comes to criminal DUI charges, you are innocent until proven guilty. The DUI charges will not show up on your criminal record unless you plead guilty or are found guilty in court.
Driver’s license suspensions are different. After you are arrested for a DUI, your driver’s license will automatically be suspended for 46 days. You do have a right to a hearing to challenge the driver’s license suspension, but you only have a limited amount of time to do so. If you allow that time period to lapse, you forever lose your right to contest the suspension. We recommend speaking to a DUI lawyer as soon as possible so they can request a hearing and you can attempt to get your driver’s license back.
Attempting to Get Your Driver’s License Back
If you have been charged with a first-time DUI, and you have not had your driver’s license suspension hearing, or you have lost during the hearing, you still have options. You can ask the court to allow you to put a breathalyzer, also called a BAIID device, in your car for the remainder of your driver’s license suspension. You will have to blow into the device to start your car. This scenario is not ideal because the device often gives false positives, but it is better than not driving at all. If your license is reinstated, you will need to pay your reinstatement fees and follow all of the court’s guidelines.
Contact a DUI Defense Lawyer Today
When you need an attorney, experience matters. The award-winning criminal defense lawyers at Glasgow & Olsson have successfully represented clients throughout the Chicago area in DUI cases. We understand the importance of you keeping your driver’s license and will fight hard against your driver’s license suspension. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.