You plan a night out. Since you know you will be at an establishment serving alcoholic beverages, you prepare in advance for the required designated driver. Since you will not be behind the wheel, you plan to let loose and have that extra drink of choice. On the way home, the police pull the car over; however, you have nothing to fear. You are safe in the passenger’s seat, and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your driver drank only water and soda all night. Much to your dismay, the officer begins questioning you as a passenger. Can you receive a DUI for riding drunk …

With busy lifestyles, minor details become lost in the shuffle. We forget where we put our car keys, we forget to respond to that last text message for a few days, and we miss appointments. But what happens if one of those appointments we accidentally forgot to show up for was traffic court? Find out how Illinois courts respond. 

They say, “seeing is believing,” when obtaining the truth in many situations. The same idea holds true in a criminal investigation and trial. For decades, attorneys have used chalkboard markings, flip charts, x-rays, maps, diagrams, 3D models and photographs to help the jurors determine the truth behind the story. Advancements in technology in more recent years have catapulted us away from the use of chalkboards and stick figures to digital videography of an incident as it occurs. Today, a surveillance tape video can show multiple angles and enhance audio sound recordings. However, …

Many drivers mistakenly believe that if they drive carefully after having a couple of alcoholic beverages, then the police will have no reason to suspect drunk driving. This erroneous concept likely stems from the mental image of inebriated drivers drifting between lanes, failing to maintain a constant speed, and failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs. While this scenario exists, the error in judgment is the belief that if someone can sufficiently operate a motor vehicle and obey traffic laws, police will have no reason to suspect alcohol consumption.