Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
If you live in Chicago or anywhere in Cook County, you’ve likely seen it or done it—park the car safely, crack the window, and decide to sleep off a night of drinking. It seems like a responsible decision. But under Illinois law, that seemingly safe choice can land you in handcuffs.
DUI charges in Illinois don’t always require that you be caught driving. Under what’s known as “actual physical control,” you can be charged with a DUI even if your vehicle wasn’t moving, your engine was off, and you were just trying to sober up. It’s a harsh legal reality that many people only learn after they’ve already been arrested.
This isn’t theoretical. Our firm has represented many Chicago-area residents charged with DUI after police found them asleep in parked cars. What they thought was the right decision quickly turned into a criminal case with long-lasting consequences.
