Many drivers in Illinois rely on their vehicles for a large portion of their daily lives. Whether you need to drive to work, take your children to school or even use your car to pick up groceries, suddenly losing the ability to do so can be a big problem. Unfortunately, if you are investigated for drunk driving, that is exactly what could happen.
The big problem is that even if you refuse to participate in methods used to determine whether you are intoxicated, such as breath or field sobriety tests, you could have your license suspended. This is because simply by holding a license, you are bound by implied consent laws, meaning you have technically agreed to submit to such tests.
However, if you are tested and your blood alcohol concentration is found to be at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, you could be charged with drunk driving. If convicted, you could still lose your license. You might also face other penalties such as fines, a prison sentence or the loss of your vehicle.
All of this is quite distressing to consider and it is easy to see why a good defense is critical. You are innocent unless you can be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, so the important thing is to preserve that doubt. There are many ways to do this, but your course of action will depend on the details of your case.
This may seem like a lot to figure out on your own, but our page on criminal defense may have some of the answers you need. An attorney might also be able to provide advice and support at this difficult time and help you decide on the line of defense that may be best suited to your circumstances.