DUI Checkpoints in Chicago

 Posted on April 09, 2012 in Uncategorized

DUI Checkpoints in Chicago Chicago police routinely establish DUI checkpoints in an attempt to nab drunk drivers, especially during holidays that commonly involve alcohol drinking. Legally defined, a DUI, or “sobriety” checkpoint is a temporary roadblock regulated by local law enforcement that stops certain vehicles in order to determine if the driver is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. In addition, drivers who are stopped will be asked for registration, license and proof of insurance. They may also be ticketed even if they are not impaired for not wearing a seat belt, expired license and a host of other traffic infractions.

If a DUI checkpoint officer who subsequently suspects you of being intoxicated, you have the right to refuse a field sobriety test. Sobriety tests involve walking a straight line, reciting the alphabet, standing on one foot without falling or touching your nose with your right then your left index finger. A Chicago DUI checkpoint police officer may also want you to take a breathalyzer test in order to determine the alcohol content in your blood. Legally, you can refuse this test as well but consequences for refusing a breathalyzer may be more serious than an uncontested DUI charge. However, be aware that while an office can ask to search your car, he or she has no legal grounds to do so unless granted a search warrant by a judge.

Before establishing a DUI checkpoint in the Chicago area, law enforcement must inform the public through local news announcements or other public advertising that a checkpoint will be in place at a certain location on a certain date. It is illegal for police to set up random checkpoints that are unannounced and unknown to the public. In addition, drivers are not stopped based on how they are driving. Instead, Chicago area police use a mathematical calculation to determine which cars they pull over at DUI checkpoints.

Overly aggressive checkpoint officers are intent on arresting as many supposed Chicago DUI offenders as possible. If you were detained at a sobriety checkpoint and arrested for impaired driving, contact a Chicago area attorney as soon as possible. A Rolling Meadows, Illinois DUI defense lawyer can assist you in possibly overturning your case as well as determining whether your rights were violated during the checkpoint stop.