Illinois DUI Lawyer Blawg

The jury is deliberating the DUI death case brought against former Yankee catcher Jim Leyritz. Leyritz is accused of driving drunk, thereby causing an intersection collision that led to the death of the driver of the vehicle with which he collided.

The prosecution claims that Leyritz ran a red light and that his blood alcohol content at the time of the accident was .18, well above the Florida legal limit of .08, which is the same legal limit for an Illinois DUI. At the time Leyritz was tested, 3 hours after the crash, his blood alcohol content was .14.

The state (prosecutor) hired a toxicology expert who testified about the process of “reverse extrapolation”. Reverse extrapolation simply means that the expert worked the numbers backwards. He estimated Leyritz’s blood alcohol content when he was driving was .18.

On the other hand, Leyritz offered a spirited defense of the charges. First, no witness was able to state with certainty that Leyritz’s light was red. At most, they testified it was yellow when he entered the intersection. One witness was a passenger in Leyritz’s vehicle. The other was a pedestrian.

Furthermore, Leyritz had his own expert. This expert also relied upon reverse extrapolation and the concept of the alcohol absorption curve. The idea is that alcohol does not enter the bloodstream (and therefore effect the blood alcohol content) immediately upon drinking. It takes some time.

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What is the process that leads to being arrested for DUI in Springfield Illinois? What happens after you are arrested?

There are a number of reasons that you may initially encounter law enforcement in connection with the operation of a motor vehicle. Common situations include speeding, improper lane usage (weaving or crossing the centerline or fog line), other erratic driving, equipment violations (light burned out), being involved in an accident- your fault or not, a roadside safety check, a report from someone claiming to have observed you leaving a bar intoxicated, a citizen’s complaint of your supposed erratic driving, or the police randomly run your license plates and you come back suspended or revoked.

Also, the police may come upon you while you are asleep in your car or dozed off behind the wheel in traffic. There may be other reasons but these are the most common.

Now that the police have stopped you, they will be looking for reasons to believe you may be under the influence of alcohol. It all starts, even before you get out of the car, with your breath (odor of alcohol), speech (slurred) and eyes (bloodshot, watery, glassy). The next decision point will probably be whether you have difficulty producing your driver’s license, insurance card and vehicle registration.

At some point during all of this, the officer is going to ask you whether you have been drinking, or how much have you had to drink. If you answer “no” or “none” he will challenge you by claiming he smells it on your breath.

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Former New York Yankees catcher and 1996 World Series hero Jim Leyritz is on trial for DUI manslaughter. Leyritz is accused of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, causing the death of Freida Veitch, who was driving the vehicle with which Leyritz collided in Florida. In Illinois, this offense is known as reckless homicide.
The trial has just begun but there have already been a couple of interesting turns. Evidence shows that Veitch had a blood alcohol content of .18, well above the legal limt of .08. Leyritz’s blood alcohol level 3 hours after the crash was .14. An expert for the state, relying upon the alcohol absorption curve, concluded that Leyritz’s alcohol content at the time he was driving would have been .18.

Before the trial started, the prosecutor had obtained a ruling from the judge that the jury would not be allowed to hear evidence of Veitch’s alleged intoxication. These pretrial motions are known as motions in limine.

In a jury trial, one of the judge’s most important functions is to make rulings on whether the jury will be allowed to hear certain testimony. In some instances, a question is asked and the opposing attorney shouts “objection!” and the judge decides whether or not the witness will be allowed to answer the question. If he says “overruled”, the witness will be allowed to answer. If he says “sustained”, the witness will not be allowed to answer.

Every DUI lawyer knows, however, that there are certain questions that are so damaging that if the jury even hears the question, a sustained objection will not undo the damage that asking the question has created. This is the concept of not being able to “put toothpaste back in the tube” or “un-ring the bell”.

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Wade Miquelon, the Chief Financial Officer for Walgreen Company was arrested in Kenilworth, Illinois for DUI. The chief financial officer for a company is one of its highest ranking officials. Kenilworth is one of the wealthiest suburbs in the United States.

This is Miquelon’s second DUI arrest in less than a year. At the time of his first DUI arrest, he registered a BAC of .128. The legal limit in Illinois is .08.

In connection with the first DUI arrest, Miquelon was granted court supervision for 12 months. Because a disposition of court supervision does not result in a driver’s license revocation, Miquelon was not required to have a driver’s license reinstatement hearing with the Illinois Secretary of State. Also, due to court supervision, there was no threat of jail time.

A second DUI arrest presents Miquelon with a whole new set of problems. Court supervision for DUI is available only once in your lifetime.

The idea that supervision does not “go on your record” is only partially true. The Illinois Secretary of State maintains different driving records. Access to some of those records is restricted.

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According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s DUI Fact Book, the typical cost of a DUI conviction in Illinois is about $15,000.00. Some of the costs are apparent, while others become evident only when your Illinois driver’s license is lost due to a DUI.

Starting at the point of your DUI arrest, you will be taken to the police station. Your car will be left on the roadside, waiting to be towed. You will be responsible for towing and storage expenses.

After the police have processed you after the arrest, you will be required to post a bond before being released. The bond will be no less than $100 and as much as $300. In addition, the court will assess a non-refundable processing fee.

Upon your release from jail, you will want to retain the services of a DUI lawyer. Most will, before agreeing to represent you, require a retainer fee (down payment). Additional fees may be due as your case progresses.

It is important that you discuss all fee matters with your DUI lawyer. You may think that all lawyers are the same and the least expensive lawyer is your best choice. However, instead of an inexpensive lawyer, you may end up with a cheap one (You get what you pay for).

On the other hand, the most expensive lawyer is not necessarily the best one! You should look at things such as the lawyer’s experience, reputation, client feedback and what other lawyers think about your potential lawyer. A handy reference source for lawyer ratings is AVVO.com , where the highest possible rating is 10.0. AVVO ratings are based upon feedback from past clients and from other lawyers who are familiar with the work of the lawyer being rated.

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Vince Neil, singer for the rock band Motley Crew, was charged with DUI. According to police reports. Neil’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .08. The legal limit in Nevada, where Neil was arrested, is .08, the same level as Illinois DUI law provides for.

At this point, it is not clear how long after the DUI arrest Neil registered his .08 BAC. In Illinois, for instance, the police must, once the decision is made to arrest you for DUI, begin a 20-minute observation period. During that time, the police must confirm that you have not consumed any alcohol or done anything else that could cause a false reading (such as burping or regurgitating).

Furthermore, the test must be administered under specific conditions set for in Illinois State Police regulations. The officer administering the test must be properly trained, and the breath machine must undergo certification.

Failure of the police to follow these exacting procedures may result in dismissal of the DUI charges. Only a DUI lawyer will understand how to challenge the reliability of the Breathalyzer test results.

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