Arlington Heights First Time DUI Defense Lawyer

Skilled Attorney Defending Against First DUI Charges in Arlington Heights, IL

As a first-time DUI offender, you may wonder what you should do to prevent going to jail. There may be nothing you can do if an officer decides you are too drunk to drive. Regardless if this is your 1st DUI offense, the Statutory Summary Suspension will happen automatically once you are arrested for DUI. If you choose to do nothing to prevent license suspension before the 46th day after your DUI arrest, your license will remain suspended for 180 days.

At Cosley Law Office, located in Arlington Heights, we are proactive in our representation of clients charged with a first DUI offense. Even though the penalties for a first DUI offense are less than the penalties for a second DUI, third, or repeat DUI offender, we still have our work cut out for us to help minimize the damage.

With decades of legal experience, Attorney Donald J. Cosley knows how to prepare sustainable defense strategies that will hold up in court. Our law firm has years of criminal DUI defense experience, and we have helped to defend clients in all DUI defense matters.

First DUI Offense Conviction and Penalties

Aside from automatic license suspension, after a DUI arrest, if you are found guilty and convicted of your first DUI offense, you will be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor: Additionally, you will have your license revoked for one year (or two years if you are under 21). You may be able to continue driving legally by installing a breath-alcohol ignition interlock device on your vehicle.

If you are convicted and committed a first DUI offense while driving in a car with a child under the age of 16, you could spend six months in jail, pay a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000, or complete 25 days of community service in a program benefiting children.

A fatal car crash resulting in injury to a child under 16 is considered aggravated DUI and is a Class 4 felony offense. At this point, the fines and penalties increase significantly.

Contact Our Arlington Heights DUI Defense Lawyer

At Cosley Law Office, we represent clients in the cities of Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Palatine, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Barrington, South Barrington, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Rosemont, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove, Streamwood, and Schiller Park. Call our 24 hour answering service at 847-253-3100 today or contact our Arlington Heights, IL DUI defense attorney to schedule a free consultation.