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Refusing a Blood Alcohol Test in Illinois
If you are stopped by a police officer on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), the arresting officer may ask you to take a breath, blood or urine test in order to determine your blood alcohol content (BAC). If your blood alcohol content is found to be 0.08 or higher, you are considered legally intoxicated and you will likely be charged with a DUI. But, are you required to take such a test?
Implied Consent
Illinois has an "implied consent" law. Implied consent means that by driving on the streets and highways of Illinois, you agree to submit to chemical testing for impairment if you are ever arrested on suspicion of DUI. A chemical test is different from a typical criminal interrogation in that you do not have the right to speak to an attorney before you are tested.
It is not uncommon for a police officer to ask a driver to submit to a preliminary breath test before he or she is arrested. In most cases, a preliminary test is used to establish probable cause, and you do not have to take this preliminary test. Refusing a test at this point does not result in any specific penalties, but it may give the officer reason to look more carefully at other indicators of intoxication such as slurred speech or decreased motor skills.
New Illinois Law for DUI Causing a Death
By now, virtually every motorist knows that the consequences for driving under the influence (DUI) can be severe. In addition to stiff criminal penalties, drinking and driving can result in injury or death to the driver, passengers, other motorists, and pedestrians. Tragically, 10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2015, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Accidents involving drunk driving account for nearly one-third (29%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
In most cases involving DUI, prosecutors only have a certain amount of time in which to file formal charges. This is known as the statute of limitations. For a misdemeanor DUI offense, the statute of limitations gives authorities 18 months to take action. If the charge is a felony, prosecutors usually have three years from the date of the incident.
A new law, however, recently eliminated the statute of limitations for a felony DUI that causes a fatality. This means that if a person drinks and drives and causes an accident that results in at least one death, he or she can be prosecuted at any time. The three-year limitation will still apply to other felony DUI charges. House Bill 3084 passed both the Illinois House and Senate and became law late last year. The measure went into effect on January 1, 2018.
Unusual DUI Cases
Sometimes, unusual circumstances leading to drunk driving arrests sound more like movies than real life. Alcohol is often a factor in thrill-seeking or risky behavior. Those who drink to excess are generally less inhibited than a sober person would be. The consumption of alcohol—especially in large quantaties—releases the feel-good hormone dopamine. When a drinker’s brain is flooded with dopamine, the drinker begins to have trouble discerning what is a good decision and what is a bad decision. This leads many people to do or say things while they are drinking that they would not do or say while sober.
The false confidence which alcohol can give users is one reason why many drinkers choose to drive when they are incapacitated. Many who are arrested for drinking under the influence (DUI) got behind the wheel because they greatly underestimated their inebriation. Such a mistake can cost a person severely.
Experts Suggest Lowering DUI Legal Limit Could Save Lives
Drunk driving is a serious issue in the United States. Every year, drunk driving takes the lives of approximately 10,000 people. This works out to about 28 deaths linked to an impaired driver every single day. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes is estimated to be about $44 billion dollars. In order to mitigate the problem of drunk driving, legislators have limited the amount of alcohol a person can legally have in their body while driving. If a driver is caught driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of more than 0.08 percent, he or she will be charged with drinking under the influence (DUI). In order to less the number of alcohol-related car accidents, some experts suggest lowering the legal limit nationwide.
Scientists Say BAC Threshold Should Be Lowered to 0.05 Percent
A panel of accomplished scientists from the National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine analyzed data from many sources and came to the conclusion that states should lower the legal BAC limit. Presently, all 50 U.S. states maintain a BAC limit of 0.08 percent. Anyone with a BAC higher than this driving a car is breaking the law. It should be noted that although the legal limit is 0.08 percent, drivers showing signs of impairment with a BAC of at least 0.05 percent can still be charged with a DUI in Illinois.
Illinois DUI Frequently Asked Questions
The state of Illinois takes drinking and driving very seriously. Car accidents involving intoxicated drivers caused 10,265 deaths in 2015 and thousands more injuries. Over a million people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI) during the same year. If you are caught drinking and driving in Illinois, the penalties can be severe and life-altering. It is important that every driver be educated about DUI laws.
When Can Someone Be Arrested for DUI?
If a police officer suspects a driver is intoxicated, the officer will pull the car over. Next, if the officer still has concerns about the driver’s sobriety he will ask them to take a field sobriety test or chemical blood alcohol content (BAC) test. The BAC test is usually done via a breathalyzer device. If the test shows a result of 0.80 percent BAC or higher, the driver will be arrested for driving under the influence and his or her driver’s license will automatically be suspended for six months. A driver who is under age 21 is not legally permitted to drive with any amount of alcohol in their body. If you are under age 21, you can be charged with driving under the influence even if you do not blow over 0.08 percent BAC on a breathalyzer.
When Is an Illinois DUI is Considered a Felony?
In Illinois, there are three classifications of criminal offenses. Petty offenses are the lowest classification and include most traffic violations. The next level of offense a misdemeanor while the highest classification of crime, that which can carry the most serious penalties, is a felony. Those convicted of a felony usually face extended imprisonment as well as other serious punitive consequences. There are some instances in which a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) can be classified as a felony. Felony DUIs, also called aggravated DUIs, carry more severe disciplinary consequences than a misdemeanor DUI does and can seriously affect a convicted person’s ability to find employment or even a home in the future.
Most DUI Charges Are Considered Misdemeanors
If you are an Illinois resident have been charged with a DUI for the very first time, you will almost certainly be charged with a misdemeanor. Felony DUI charges come as a result of more serious violations of the law. Offenses which can result in a felony DUI charge include:
DUI Checkpoints: What Are Your Rights?
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, a person dies in a drunk driving-related accident every 50 minutes in the United States. In order to catch those who drink and drive, Illinois police sometimes use DUI checkpoints. These checkpoints usually involve some sort of roadblock which prevents motorists from passing. Police may stop vehicles and ask drivers to perform field sobriety tests or submit to chemical testing, such as a Breathalyzer test. Many individuals are unsure of what their rights are at a DUI checkpoint. Read on to learn what is expected of both motorists and police at these stops.
Probable Cause for Stopping Vehicles
If you are someone with a basic understanding of the law, you may have wondered how police checkpoints are even legal. After all, the U.S Constitution does have rules which prevent police from unreasonable search and seizure. The Fourth Amendment says that "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause..." This right to be free from arbitrary seizure of property includes being pulled over while driving. Technically, a police officer does need probable cause to pull someone over and ask them to perform a sobriety test. However, in the case of DUI checkpoints, an exception has been made. The U.S. Supreme Court has determined that the intrusiveness of DUI checkpoints is outweighed by the benefit of decreasing the number of drunk drivers on the road.
Can I Still Get a DUI If My BAC is Under the Legal Limit?
Being found guilty of driving under the influence (DUI) can have devastating effects on an individual’s life. Those found guilty of drunk driving can face steep fines, loss of driving privileges, community service, and even jail time. Most people have heard that 0.08 is the magic number when it comes to being legally intoxicated behind the wheel. However, there are several circumstances where a person can be in violation of the law when driving a car with a blood alcohol content which is under the legal limit.
Illinois Per Se DUI Laws
The reason it seems that 0.08 is the magic number when it comes to DUIs is because driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or more is considered "per se intoxicated." "Per se" laws establish that if someone is operating a vehicle and is found to have a BAC over the 0.08 limit, that no other evidence is necessary to prove a driver’s intoxication. However, a BAC at or above the legal limit is not always necessary for a DUI conviction.
What You Need to Know About Refusing to Take a Breathalyzer
When a police officer has a reason to suspect that you are driving under the influence of alcohol, the officer may ask to submit to a blood alcohol content (BAC) test. These tests are usually conducted during a traffic stop. The stop may have been initiated based on a minor traffic violation or erratic driving, but if something during the stop triggers the officer’s suspicion, the request for a BAC will usually follow.
The most common type of BAC test—and the easiest to conduct—is a breath test. BAC breath tests are usually known simply as "breathalyzer" because of a particular brand of testing machine that has become synonymous with the test. You probably know that if you blow a 0.08 or higher on your breathalyzer, you are considered to be statutorily intoxicated and can be charged with driving under the influence (DUI). But, do you have to take the test when you are asked to do so?
Do You Know What Is in Your Criminal History?
If you have ever been arrested, regardless of the outcome, details of the arrest are probably still on your criminal record. Even if your criminal history can be summarized by "college kids doing stupid college stuff" and you were never convicted, prospective employers and other entities may find the records during a routine background check, potentially causing you problems that you never saw coming. Fortunately, there is an option available to many individuals that can help provide a fresh start, allowing them to put the past behind them once and for all.
Get a Copy of Your Rap Sheet
Many believe that the term rap sheet originated as an acronym for a Record of Arrest and Prosecution sheet. It seems, however, that the reverse is actually true, and that the phrase developed from street slang, and convenient acronym was, in a manner of speaking, retrofitted. Whatever the origin, it is important to be aware of every item on your criminal history. To do so, you will need to request a copy of all applicable rap sheets, including from local, state, and federal agencies, depending on your circumstances.
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