In Illinois, a first time offense for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) may result in a dismissal, a conviction or court supervision. In a court supervision scenario, the offender pleads guilty to the DUI charge. (730 ILCS 5/5-6-3.1)
In return, the judge imposes certain conditions upon the driver that he or she must satisfy during the time the supervision is in effect. (Supervision cannot last longer than two years). Among the conditions are payment of fines, completion of a Victim Impact Panel, obtaining a drug and alcohol evaluation, as well as completing any necessary treatment classes, and not violating any criminal laws.
The word “supervision” conjures up images of close oversight by the judge. In reality, as long as the offender complies with the supervision conditions, there will be no direct contact with the judge or a probation officer. At the end of the supervision period, the DUI charge will be dismissed assuming that the offender has complied with the supervision requirements.
However, while the charges are dismissed, the supervision stays on the driving record that is forever available to the police, the prosecutor and the judge. This is critical, as DUI supervision is a once in a lifetime sentence, which is why the record becomes permanent. (730 ILCS 5/5–6-1) Continue reading →