BE CAREFUL HOW YOU PARK YOUR CAR! IMPROPER PARKING CAN BE PROBABLE CAUSE

After a few drinks at the bar, you pulled over on the side of the road. Perhaps you only meant to stop for a moment to use the phone or grab something from the back seat. Perhaps you were tired or feeling dizzy and needed to take a nap.

In either case, the police approached your parked car. While writing a ticket for the improper parking, the police noticed the smell of alcohol and asked you to take some tests. Now you’re charged with DUI.

While it may seem silly, poor parking can give the police the probable cause they need to stop you. Under Illinois law, it is illegal to park 1) at the edge or curb of a street, 2) on the sidewalk, 3) in an intersection, 4) on a crosswalk, 5) between a safety zone and the adjacent curb, 6) alongside or opposite a street obstruction if you would in turn obstruct traffic, 7) on a bridge or elevated structure, 8) inside a highway tunnel, 9) on railroad tracks, 10) on a controlled-access highway, 11) where prohibited by signs, 12) in the area between roadways or divided highways, or 13) without a proper parking sticker where one is required. (See Illinois Statute on Parking, Standing and Stopping).

If you are charged with DUI or a related offense, contact an experienced attorney immediately. An attorney can evaluate your situation for your best possible defense. Illinois law permits momentary standing in some areas to pick up passengers or unload property. If so, the police may then lack the probable cause needed to stop you.

Even if the evidence against you is overwhelming, an attorney who is respected in the courthouse may negotiate a more favorable plea agreement then you could on your own.

If you have questions about a 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.)