Here’s What You’re Really Facing

Imagine this: you’re pulled over late at night in Chicago, an officer asks if you’ve had anything to drink, and then wants you to step out of the car for field sobriety testing. You decline. Next, they ask you to blow into a breathalyzer. You decline again. Minutes later, you’re placed under arrest. If you’ve been in this situation, you know the fear and confusion that follows. What you may not know is that you can still be charged—and convicted—of DUI in Illinois even if you refused everything.

Illinois law gives prosecutors broad discretion to pursue DUI charges based on an officer’s observations alone. Refusing all tests doesn’t end the investigation—it just changes the evidence the State will rely on. In fact, many DUI cases that result in convictions involve no test results at all. And unless you take legal action quickly, the consequences can hit hard.