First Time DUI Charge
A DUI stands for Driving Under the Influence. If you are charged with a DUI, you can either plead guilty or you can be found guilty after attempting to dispute the charge. Being convicted of this crime can result in jail time, fees, and mandatory license suspension or revocation.
If you are charged with a DUI your license will be suspended or possibly revoked. When your license is revoked or suspended, you lose driving privileges. Getting your license reinstated is easier said than done, but undoubtedly something worth fighting for. Driving is a convenience many of us rely on every day, and suddenly being without it can make our lives difficult.
If you have been charged with a DUI for the first time in your driving career, you may be eligible for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP). An MDDP can be provided after a DUI conviction, but only under special circumstances.
What Is a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP)?
The MDDP allows DUI offenders to legally, and safely, get back on the road before their licenses can be officially reinstated. If you are at east eighteen years old and this is your first DUI offense, then you are likely eligible for the MDDP.
You are not eligible if any of the following are true:
- You received a statutory summary suspension in the past five years
- Were charged or convicted of a DUI in the past five years (in Illinois or other states)
- Your driver’s license is invalid/expired/etc.
- The accident in which you were charged with a DUI resulted in death or bodily harm
- You have a previous conviction of an aggravated DUI which resulted in death
- You were assigned court supervision for a DUI in the past five years
In order to utilize a MDDP, you will have to install a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) in your vehicle. This device requires a driver to blow into a breathalyzer before starting their car, and then requires them to take occasional breath tests while driving to ensure no alcohol has been consumed between starting the car and turning off the engine. All fees and costs related to the MDDP, and therefore the BAIID also, must be covered by the offender.
Contact Your Local Driver’s License Reinstatement Lawyer in Illinois
Johnson & Goldrich, P.C. is here for you when you are seeking Illinois driver’s license reinstatement after a DUI. We will handle every legal consideration when you are faced with driver’s license suspension or revocation, from formal hearings to dealing with the Illinois Secretary of State. If you are eligible for a MDDP, we will make sure you receive the opportunity to utilize it to its full potential.
Contact Johnson & Goldrich, P.C. today if you are facing DUI charges in the state of Illinois. Our defense attorneys are here for you.