Lake County, IL First-Time DUI Defense Attorney

Compassionate, Experienced Help from an Illinois DUI Lawyer

If you have been charged with DUI in the State of Illinois, you may feel uneasy about your future, particularly if this is your first DUI. It is entirely normal to experience embarrassment, frustration, anxiety and even anger about your arrest however this is a time for decisive action. Getting an experienced Buffalo Grove DUI lawyer on board as soon as possible can be extremely instrumental in changing the outcome of your charges.

Buffalo Grove attorney Matthew R. Gebhardt understands that you are shaken up and that a million questions are going through your mind. Gebhardt will take the time to answer those questions, and will reassure you that he intends to fight hard for your freedom and your future. The vast majority of those arrested for a first time DUI have never been in trouble with the law, and are, in fact, good people who simply made a poor decision. Attorney Gebhardt believes that one bad choice should not define who you are or alter the course of your life.

After Your Arrest—What Comes Next?

Hopefully, you requested an attorney as soon as you had an idea that you would be arrested for DUI. The best course of action is always to request a lawyer, then politely refuse to answer any more questions asked by the police. You will be given a date for your first court appearance and, if you refused a chemical test, you will be notified that your driver’s license will be suspended on the 46th day following your arrest. This is known as a Statutory Summary Suspension and can last from three months to three years. As a first-time offender, if you agreed to a chemical test and failed, you will receive a three-month suspension. Repeat offenders who refuse testing can receive a three-year suspension.

Illinois Penalties for a First Time DUI

For a first-time DUI conviction, you could face up to 364 days in the county jail and/or a fine as high as $2,500. Short of a dismissal or an acquittal at trial, the best disposition for your charges could be court supervision. Should you receive court supervision, it could last between twelve and twenty-four months, and during that time you will be required to obey all Illinois laws (including traffic laws). You will also have to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation and may be asked to take a driver risk education program. Depending on whether you are classified as Level I, II or III, you may be asked to complete alcohol counseling, and will have to pay fines and court costs as well as attending a Victim Impact Panel. Should you not comply with all the requirements, you could be sent to jail. While you may have your driver’s license suspended for a length of time, it will not be revoked. You are only entitled to DUI court supervision once in your lifetime.

How Our Lake County DUI Lawyer Can Help You

Attorney Matthew R. Gebhardt will take immediate action on your behalf in order to alleviate the long-term consequences of your first-time DUI. He may be able to file a petition against the upcoming suspension of your license, and should that petition be denied, he may negotiate your eligibility to drive with a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock device (after you have successfully served thirty days of your suspension). Depending on the circumstances surrounding your arrest, Attorney Gebhardt may be able to submit other motions on your behalf. Perhaps the police lacked probable cause to pull you over, or perhaps the officer made mistakes while administering of your blood alcohol tests or your field sobriety tests.

In any case, our DUI lawyer will fight aggressively for your freedom. For a free, no-strings-attached initial consultation, contact Matthew R. Gebhardt today at 773-383-8745 or 847-239-4703.