Plainfield DUI Defense Lawyer

DUI Defense Strategies and Legal Representation in Plainfield, IL

Drunk driving charges can have serious legal and social consequences. Some of these consequences, like having your license suspended or having problems at work, can come before you even have a chance to defend yourself in court. If you are being charged with DUI, your situation is not hopeless. There is a lot an experienced attorney can do to defend you—a conviction is not necessarily inevitable.

Law Office of Eric J. Blatti, P.C. is highly skilled in DUI defense. Attorney Eric J. Blatti has helped many others in your position avoid conviction, reduce charges from felonies to misdemeanors, or minimize sentences. If you are up against DUI charges, you need a skilled attorney to fight for you.

The Difference Between Misdemeanor and Felony DUI

Normally, first and second DUIs are misdemeanors. Third and subsequent DUIs are felonies. The consequences of a felony DUI are serious. If your DUI is a felony, you could be sent to prison for more than a year and lose your driving privileges for multiple years or permanently.

A DUI might be considered aggravated and treated as a felony in cases involving:

• Death or bodily injury
• Injuries to a child passenger or repeat DUIs with a child passenger
• Driving for hire, most commonly through Lyft or Uber
• Driving a school bus with minor passengers
• A suspended driver's license
• No registration
• No insurance
• An existing DUI suspension

These cases are taken seriously, as the penalties can be severe.

DUI With a CDL

Getting a DUI can be an even bigger problem if you have a commercial driver's license you need for work. It is also far easier to get a DUI when you have a CDL, because a lower BAC threshold applies. Most people are not considered drunk unless their BAC is 0.08. CDL holders can be charged with a DUI for having a BAC of only 0.04.

With your career at risk, you must focus on putting forth the best defense possible. Attorney Blatti has experience representing professional drivers who are facing this potentially devastating charge.

Defenses to Drunk Driving Charges

You may have a strong defense you do not know about. Attorney Blatti will closely examine your case to determine whether any of the following defenses may apply:

• Unconstitutional stop - The police officer who pulled you over did not have a good reason to suspect you of wrongdoing.
• Involuntary intoxication - You were drugged without your knowledge or served food or drink you did not have a reason to think would intoxicate you.
• Field sobriety test issues - Anything from poor weather to high heels to a medical or mental health condition could have made you appear more intoxicated than you were.
• Breath or blood test inaccuracy - Police officers may not follow the proper procedures when administering chemical tests, causing the results to be wrong.
• Necessity - There are some cases where an intoxicated person must drive a short distance to prevent greater harm.

Drug DUI Lawyer in Will County

Even if you only took a prescription medication according to the instructions your doctor gave you, you could be charged with DUI if your ability to drive safely was impaired. Sleeping pills like Ambien, pain medicine, and anxiety medications are medications that could potentially lead to DUI charges. The combination of medications with alcohol, cold and flu medicines, or other substances may also lead to intoxication.

Now that recreational cannabis has been legalized in Illinois, more people are being arrested for driving under the influence of THC. This situation can be difficult, because even if you were not "high," you might be charged with DUI just for having a certain concentration of THC in your blood or urine. It is important to work with a knowledgeable drug DUI lawyer if you are charged with a drug-related DUI.

Contact a Plainfield, IL DUI Attorney

Law Office of Eric J. Blatti, P.C. is highly skilled in DUI defense. Attorney Eric J. Blatti has more than 15 years of experience fighting for people charged with DUI and other offenses. Contact us at 815-744-2500 for a free, no-obligation consultation.