An Illinois man had his bail for drunk driving set at $1 million after he was taken into custody on April 13. While this is an unusually high amount for a drunk driving offense, it was the 10th time the 55-year-old had been detained on similar charges.
In the latest incident, the man was driving southbound on Interstate 55 when he was stopped by state police. Allegedly, his blood alcohol content was above .08. He is facing two charges of aggravated driving under the influence. This is a Class X felony.
The man’s record for driving under the influence stretches back to the first time he was taken into custody in 1985. He was subsequently detained two more times in the 1980s and four times in the 1990s. The other incidents occurred in 2004 and 2006. They happened in DuPage, Will, and Kane counties.
People who are facing charges for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may want to consult an attorney. The strategy for defense may depend in part on the severity of the charges and whether the person has prior convictions. In a case similar to this one, in which there are multiple prior convictions, a person may want to focus primarily on getting lighter penalties. For a first-time charge, the person might want to find out whether it is possible to get the charges dismissed. An attorney might also look at issues such as the accuracy of the Breathalyzer test, the reliability of law enforcement’s account of the situation, and whether the traffic stop itself was made with the requisite reasonable suspicion that a crime was being committed.
Source: Patch, “10th DUI For This Joliet Resident: Complaint“, John Ferak, April 18, 2019