A 38-year-old Illinois man faces conviction for his 10th drunk driving offense. The man went to the Cook County Jail and was issued a bail of $250,000 after the Jan. 3 incident.
The Wheeling man reportedly traveled south near Exchange Court on Wheeling Road at around 7:50 p.m. He then crossed the center line and sideswiped a car headed north. After the accident, the man drove away but was followed by the driver of the other vehicle and a witness. These people called the authorities, and the man was detained by the police after allegedly exhibiting signs of intoxication. These signs included the smell of alcohol on his breath and red, glassy eyes.
Reports say that the man’s previous drunk driving charges were divided among four aliases, and the prosecutor for this case said that the man first gave the authorities his brother’s driver’s license. These aliases made it possible for the man to keep driving after multiple DUI convictions. Eight misdemeanor DUIs occurred between 1996 and 2003, and he received a four-year prison sentence for felony DUI in 2005. A 10th conviction could result in a maximum of 30 years in prison while the minimum sentence would be six years.
The signs of intoxication noted in this case are two examples of probable cause. The authorities must first have probable cause to pull a driver over, and sufficient reason to stop a driver could include speeding or erratic driving. Next, the authorities must also have cause to perform sobriety testing. If an officer did not have the proper grounds to stop or test someone, this might render the evidence an officer gathered inadmissible in court.
Source: The Daily Herald, “Wheeling man charged with 10th DUI, bail set at $225,000,” Doug T. Graham, Jan. 5, 2017