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Being pulled over and arrested for a DUI can be embarrassing, but a conviction may impact more than your pride. A DUI could hurt your future, raising your insurance costs, suspending your license, and putting you in a financial bind. Worse, that DUI will go on your criminal record. 

But how long does a DUI stay on your record? Some Chicago residents may wonder if it’s worth fighting a DUI if it will be off your record in a few years. Unfortunately, a DUI on your record can cause a lot more trouble. 

Illinois DUIs Stay for Life

If you’re convicted of a DUI in Chicago, that DUI will stay on your record for life. That means you won’t have a chance to expunge it, or remove that conviction from your record. It won’t go away on its own, either—that DUI record is here to stay if you accept the charges. 

Unfortunately, that could severely impact your situation in the future. For example, insurance companies will see your driving record, and even a DUI from a decade ago could lead to high policy rates, or they may refuse to cover you at all. 

It could also affect your penalties if you’re accused of drinking and driving at any other point in your life. For example, let’s say you received a DUI conviction fifteen years ago. If you were pulled over tomorrow and arrested for drinking and driving, you’d face higher penalties, no matter how long ago the initial conviction was. 

Avoiding Severe Penalties for a DUI 

The good news is, you don’t have to accept those penalties for a DUI conviction and move on. You have a chance to defend yourself in a Chicago DUI case. Even better, your Chicago DUI attorney can help you work to avoid those penalties by building a strong defense for your case. 

Your defense will depend on the details of your case. For example, you may have been arrested because you were sitting in your car, even though you weren’t driving. You and your DUI lawyer may argue that you weren’t intending to drive, or you were sobering up before you drove. 

A Chicago DUI attorney can help you find the best defense for your case. They can review the details, work with you on evidence, and build a case that could lead to your charges getting reduced or dismissed. Experience and resources on your side can make a big difference in the courtroom—they can even save your future. 

Find Out How a Chicago DUI Lawyer Can Help You

Facing a DUI on your record for life can be worrying. That could affect your license, your insurance, and your lifestyle for years following the conviction. In cases like these, you may need a Chicago DUI lawyer from Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ to help you fight back to avoid a conviction before it goes on your record. To avoid your DUI penalties, you can get help by calling 312-931-5411 or by filling out the online contact form below. 

If you’ve been charged or convicted of a felony in Illinois, you may already know how severely those charges can affect your future. You may still be paying off the financial penalties, which is tough when your criminal record can prevent you from getting a good job or housing. 

Dealing with these severe penalties can feel impossible, but you have opportunities to act now and seek an expungement. That way, you don’t have to continue facing the consequences years after you’ve paid your due. 

But you may not know how to get a felony expunged in Illinois. The good news is, you don’t have to seek expungement on your own. Your Illinois expungement lawyer can help. 

Expungement vs. Sealing Records 

The problem with many felony convictions is that you may not be able to expunge them—but you may have grounds to seal them. But what’s the difference between expungement and sealing, and will it make a difference to your future? 

In both cases, the records will be invisible to the public. If your felony charges have affected your ability to get housing and employment, both options can help you avoid continued losses because of this. 

The difference between the two is that expungement requires your record be destroyed. You should be treated as though you were never tried or convicted in these cases. Sealing your record means that while the police will still keep those records, they won’t be accessible to the public. That may affect you if you’re arrested again, but it can still protect your job and your future. 

Getting a Felony Expunged

Expungement can be complicated because not everyone is eligible for expungement. Usually, expungement is only offered to certain types of offenses and situations. 

For example, you may have been convicted of a Class 4 felony. You may have a chance to seal your records, but only after a three-year waiting period has passed following your sentence. While you can still seal your case, you may have specific rules that will affect when and how you can have your record sealed. 

Certain types of cases may not be expunged or sealed. For example, sexual offenses against a child usually disqualify you from having your record expunged or sealed. If you’re concerned about your Illinois expungement case and you’re not sure you’re eligible, talk to your expungement lawyer about your case and what you can do to seek expungement. 

Talk It Over with an Illinois Expungement Lawyer 

When you’re accused of a criminal offense, it can hurt your future for years to come. Worse, you may not have the tools or resources to be sure what you can do about your situation. You may have struggled to deal with the consequences of your conviction for years after the trial ended. 

You may not have to worry about that anymore. Your lawyer at Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ knows how to get a felony expunged in Illinois, and we may be able to help you get your case expunged or sealed. If your criminal record is affecting your life, reach out for help during a consultation with your Illinois expungement attorney. Call 312-931-5411 or fill out the online contact form below to learn more. 

When you think of a DUI, you’re probably thinking of someone serving all over the road, drunk and behind the wheel of a car. However, that’s not true of all DUI charges. You may not have been in a car at all, but the police still stopped you. 

Can you really get a DUI on a scooter in Illinois? 

You don’t want to get caught disobeying state laws, which could lead to a DUI conviction and serious penalties. Because of this, make sure you’re prepared to act if you’re pulled over while on a scooter in Illinois. 

Driving Under the Influence

In Illinois, you’re expected to stay within the legal limit, or you could receive a DUI. Most people assume that only applies to cars, but that’s not the case. Instead of affecting only drivers, it affects any motorized vehicles, including electric scooters. 

Because of this, you’ll need to stay within the legal limits no matter what type of vehicle you’re in or on. For example, you could be pulled over and even arrested if your blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, level is above .08 percent. Underage drivers aren’t allowed to have any alcohol in their system, due to Illinois’ zero tolerance laws on underage drinking. 

Penalties for an Illinois DUI on a Scooter

If you receive an Illinois DUI conviction, you may struggle with the penalties on your case. For example, you may have serious financial penalties. These financial penalties can add up to thousands of dollars, and they don’t stop there. 

You could be jailed for a DUI—yes, even if you were on a scooter—and your sentence may be more severe if you were actively endangering the people around you by speeding or having a minor with you. That means months away from your home, your family, and your job. If this isn’t your first conviction, you could even face prison time, which means years away from your family. 

Unfortunately, it’s not over just because you paid off your fines and completed your sentence. You could face long-term penalties for your case, starting with your criminal record. Now that you have a DUI conviction on your case, you may be ineligible for certain jobs, especially if they involve driving. You may also lose housing and other opportunities because of your conviction. 

Fight Back with an Illinois DUI Lawyer

When you’re accused of an Illinois DUI, it’s one thing to be accused while behind the wheel of a car. To be accused of a DUI on a scooter in Illinois, though, can be embarrassing. That’s why you may be ready to fight back now with an Illinois DUI lawyer from Chicago Trusted Attorneys™. 

Our attorneys can help you address the details of your case, even if you were on a scooter when you were arrested. Your DUI lawyer can help you gather evidence for your case, build a defense, and represent you in court. 

To get started on your Illinois DUI case, talk to your lawyer by calling 312-931-5411 or by filling out the online form below.