As the opioid crisis continues to alarm, the village of Carol Stream became the first municipality in Illinois to experiment with roadside drug testing. The tests use a mouth swab to screen for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines and opiates such as heroin.
The new testing is portable and avoids a time-consuming trip to the hospital. Currently, the test may only be used to establish probable cause, much like a portable breathalyzer, and is not admissible at trial.
The new testing comes in response to the growing incidence of drug-related crashes. For the first time in 2015, the number of drug related crashes exceeded crashes involving alcohol. The new tests are currently being tried in Michigan, California, Colorado and Kansas. If roadside drug testing proves successful and accurate, it may become more prevalent in Illinois.
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. Testing for impaired driving must comply with certain criteria. Perhaps the breathalyzer device was not properly certified or you fall outside the guidelines recommended for field sobriety testing. Even if the police followed proper procedure and the evidence against you is overwhelming, an attorney who is respected in the court house may be able to negotiate a more favorable plea agreement than you could on your own.
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.)
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Illinois Jurisprudence: Criminal Law and Procedure. Vol. 1. (LexisNexis 2014).
Illinois Jurisprudence: Criminal Law and Procedure. Vol. 1. (LexisNexis 2014).