WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY DUI CASE WHILE COURT IS CLOSED?

Courts throughout Illinois are closed due to the COVID-19 quarantine. Any guess about when they will open is merely a guess at this point.

If you already have a case in court, rest assured that it will be dealt with in time. If anything, many defendants will benefit from the delay. For one thing, older cases tend to weaken in time. The arresting officer may not recall the details of the event clearly. Witnesses may not be available to come to court at a later date or may have moved on to other matters.

Many court watchers believe that the quarantine could motivate prosecutors to offer more lenient terms for plea bargains, if only to lessen the growing backlog of cases. If so, this will be done strictly on a case to case basis.

If you have been arrested during the quarantine, do not hesitate to consult an experienced criminal defense attorney. An attorney can still handle certain matters during the quarantine such as reviewing the conditions of your bond for work reasons or by serving a subpoena for evidence before potentially beneficial evidence is lost or destroyed. The court is still holding bond hearings, preliminary hearings and arraignments—all early procedures in a felony matter.

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.)