DO I HAVE TO COME TO COURT ON MY ILLINOIS DUI WHEN I LIVE OUT OF STATE?

The answer is usually yes. However, there are things an attorney may do to minimize some of the pain and inconvenience. For example, an attorney may be able to move the court date or request a longer interval between court dates when you have scheduling conflicts.

After a DUI arrest, the officer will give you your first court date. On that date, your attorney will enter his or her appearance. The attorney may subpoena the evidence against you in advance and may then receive evidence. If you are seeking to overturn the automatic suspension of your driver’s license, your attorney must file your petition in advance for the hearing to take place on the first court date.

If the evidence is overwhelmingly against you, your attorney may need to negotiate a plea agreement. If a favorable agreement can be reached, you may only need to come to court a second time. However, you may still need to obtain an substance abuse evaluation from a court-authorized evaluator in the county where your court is held.

If you instead wish to fight your DUI, there may be several more court appearances before and including trial. Court appearances are usually monthly. However, the problems of having a DUI on your driving record often outweigh the inconvenience of travel to court. Many clients have come to me after a second-time DUI who could have avoided severe penalties if they had gone to trial on a fightable first case.

If you have been charged with DUI or a similar offense, contact an experienced attorney immediately. An attorney can review your case for its best possible defense. Did the police have probable cause to stop you? Can you overturn the suspension of your driver’s license? Does the police video show that you performed well on field sobriety tests? Do you need help negotiating a more favorable plea agreement?

If you have questions about this or another related Illinois criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)