Driving while you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol is never a good idea, and there are many consequences you can face for this serious crime. Not only do you face criminal penalties for a DUI, but you can also face administrative penalties, which can and typically will be added onto any criminal penalties. If you are arrested for DUI and test over the legal limit for alcohol or drugs, you face an automatic suspension of your driving privileges by the Illinois Secretary of State, all without even needing to be convicted of a crime. You can fight a statutory summary suspension of your driver's license, but you will need help from an experienced attorney.

What Is a Statutory Summary Suspension?

Basically, a statutory summary suspension is the administrative penalty that the Illinois Secretary of State imposes in DUI cases. If you fail a chemical test or refuse to take a test after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, you will be subject to a statutory summary suspension. These penalties are completely separate from any criminal penalties that you may face for DUI-related reasons. 

If you receive a traffic ticket while driving in the state of Illinois, the police officer who issued the ticket will tell you if you are required to appear in court to settle the ticket. If you are not required to appear in court, you will have three options:

1. Plead guilty, pay the fine, and receive a conviction on your record.
2. Plead guilty, pay the fine, attend traffic safety school, and forego a conviction.
3. Plead not guilty and request a trial.

If you request a trial, or if the officer informed you that you must attend a court date, you are legally required to do so. If you forget about your court date, or if you simply decide not to show up, you could face more severe consequences.

Consequences for Fine-Only Violations

If you receive a fine-only violation, and you ignored the ticket, or if you requested a court date and then did not attend that court date, both the judge and the court will not appreciate this waste of their time. The judge will almost always enter what is called an ex parte conviction (meaning the judge will sentence you guilty, even though you were absent) and require you to pay the fine.

Being accused of a sex crime can greatly impact your life, regardless of the charge. Even if you are not convicted of the alleged charge, your criminal record is public information, and arrests or accusations can appear on a background check. A sex crime conviction can bring about many undesired consequences. Not only can you be sentenced to prison or probation or be ordered to pay steep fines, you will also face the judgment of the public and experience negative effects on your personal life and relationships, and you may even be required to register as a sex offender.

In the state of Illinois, the two major sex crimes are criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse. Though they are similar crimes, they have different consequences.

Less than two weeks ago, the state of Illinois became the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Beginning in 2020, residents will be permitted to legally possess cannabis. However, there are restrictions on the amount, and cannabis trafficking will still be illegal unless you are licensed.

In light of this legalization, an Illinois man was recently sentenced to prison for purchasing 42 pounds of marijuana-infused chocolate online. The man was sentenced to four years in prison for the Class X felony of possessing more than 5,000 grams of a substance containing cannabis.

For decades, recreational marijuana use has been illegal in most of the United States. In recent years, more states have legalized the use of recreational cannabis. Illinois became the latest state to legalize the use of marijuana for adults on May 31, 2019. This comes as a surprise to many, because Illinois is the first state to approve a recreational marijuana bill through the legislature rather than a voter referendum. This means big legal changes could be coming for people who face or have faced criminal charges relating to cannabis.

Illinois Makes History

The passing of this Illinois bill is monumental for the United States. No other state has passed laws to allow legal commercial sales of marijuana through the legislature. Vermont legislature allowed for the recreational possession of marijuana, but not sales, which were passed through a referendum. Recreational marijuana will be treated and taxed similarly to alcohol, in that only those who are over the age of 21 are permitted to purchase or use it.