Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, with a metropolitan area of 10,874 km2. According to recent Illinois drunk driving statistics, around 27,046 people were arrested for DUI in 2017. The statistics show 75% of the offenders arrested under DUI charges are male.
Illinois has a zero-tolerance policy for DUI, and anyone under 21 and booked under DUI will be arrested and presented in court. If police press DUI charges against you, the first thing you need to do is find the best criminal lawyers in Chicago.
Choose a Responsive Attorney
According to recent statistics, Chicago reports a high rate of accidents. The statistics show around 1000 people die in car crashes due to DUI. Drunken drive accidents are common during Christmas, the 4th of July, and St. Patrick’s Day.
When you are arrested under DUI charges, police act quickly to conduct tests and get your confession. Hence, it would help if you looked for criminal lawyers in Chicago who can swiftly assist you in defending against the DUI charges.
When you contact the lawyer, they should arrange for a team to visit you and get details of the case. If the lawyer does not respond to your calls, they might not be able to protect your best interests in the case.
The Lawyer Specializes in DUI Cases
Every crime is different, and a lawyer is required to adopt strategies as per crime. DUI charges are different from other crimes. Only an experienced DUI lawyer will build a strong defense to ensure the judge does not pronounce harsh punishment to you.
A lawyer specializing in DUI cases will know where to find faults in the police investigation that can help you get freedom from the DUI charge.
Choose Local Attorney
It is always advised to choose local attorneys to represent you in the civil court. The reason behind it is every state has different DUI laws, and the local attorney will be knowledgeable about it. For example, Illinois has different license suspension rules than other states.
In Illinois, the license suspension is tied to a chemical test that could be a urine test, blood test, or a breathalyzer test to find the alcohol concentration in your blood.
According to the state laws, the BAC concentration should be above 2.2%for the police to press DUI charges against you. The national BAC average is 1.9%. The local attorney will study the results of chemical tests and see if it is valid as per state rules for license suspension.
Check for Reputable Sources
According to a report, around 30,000 lawyers are practicing in Chicago. The reason behind such a high number of lawyers in Chicago is the city has six law schools which include Loyola, John Marshall, Kent, U of C, DePaul, and Northwestern.
You need to check reputable sources to find the best criminal lawyers who specialize in fighting DUI cases. Some online places like Facebook and Google+ don’t allow lawyers to remove negative reviews. Reading a review gives you a general idea about the expertise and professionalism of the lawyer.
To sum up, finding the best lawyers in Chicago on the Internet is easy, but your search does not end until you meet them. When you meet them, ask them questions to get more information and to make sure they can work quickly to defend the DUI charges pressed on you.
