Chicago DUI Lawyer Blog

Despite his defense attorney's attempt to fault a Chicago Heights police officer, Will County jurors found Cecil Conner guilty last week in the death of his girlfriends five-year-old son.

Conner sat silently as the judge read the verdict and later cried said his attorney outside the court room. He faces up to 14 years in prison on two counts of aggravated DUI, though he may also qualify for probation.

Conner admitted on the stand he was "pretty drunk" after partying the whole weekend. Conner and his girlfriend, mother of 5-year-old Michael Langford, both claimed that the Chicago Heights police officer allegedly ordered Conner to drive the child home after arresting his mother for driving on a suspended license.

A States Attorney said Conner never told the officer who pulled LaFond over he had been drinking and neither did LaFond. During multiple interviews with Steger police, Conner allegedly never mentioned that the officer told him to drive.

Jury: Conner guilty in fatal DUI, www.suntimes.com, February 23, 2011

Elvis Hernandez, 28, was pronounced dead last week at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago after being hospitalized for over a year resulting form a hit-and-run DUI crash in west suburban Aurora. Hernandez was the passenger of a SUV being driven by his friend David Solis, 28, when the vehicle crashed into the back of a 2009 International 4400 box truck that was stopped in traffic.

Solis allegedly abandoned the SUV with his friend in the front passenger seat at an adjoining gas station and fled the scene on foot. When Aurora police arrived on scene they found Hernandez suffering from major head trauma. Paramedics took Hernandez to Rush Copley Medical Center. Solis returned to the scene 45 minutes after the accident and was arrested after witnesses identified him as the driver. Solis was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, driving on a suspended license and driving without insurance.

Kane County State's Attorney and Aurora police are working together to pursue upgraded charges against Solis since the death of Hernandez.

Man dies year after DUI crash, charges upgraded, www.abclocal.go.com, February 22, 2011

Roel Valle, Lynwood Village Clerk, has been charged with reckless homicide and driving under the influence after a crash that resulted in the death of a Chicago woman.

Melika LIttle, 32, mother of four children, was killed in the crash after Valle allegedly drove his village-owned vehicle the wrong direction on Iliinois Highway 394. Valle collided with a car carrying Little. The driver of the car Little was a passenger in was also charged with DUI.

The Little family has filed a civil suit against the village of Lynwood and Valle. Valle is also facing two felony charges and could be sentenced up to 19 years in prison.

Lynwood village clerk charged with reckless homicide and DUI, www.chicagotribune.com, February 14, 2011

Cecil R. Conner Jr., 22, is charged with the several counts of aggravated drunk driving for a crash that killed his girlfriend's 5-year-old son. However, his defense attorney is blaming the Chicago Heights police officer who gave him the keys to the car and allowed him to drive to the police station. En-route to the police station, Conner drove off the road and crashed into a tree.

Prior to the crash, the boys mother Kathie Lafond, was pulled over and taken into custody for driving on a suspended license. The police stated Conner appeared to be sober and that LaFond gave her boyfriend permission to take the car with the child strapped into the booster seat. Conner's attorney stated that his client was "obviously drunk" but was still ordered to take the car and that the officer threatened to arrest his client if he didn't leave.

Conner was allegedly driving 75 mph in a 35 mph zone and had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

Cop responsible for DUI death, defense says, www.chicagotribune.com, February 14, 2011

Trial delayed in fatal DUI case, www.heraldnews.suntimes.com, January 19, 2011

A 16-year-old from Naperville was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, failure to yield to oncoming traffic to avoid and accident, operating an unsafe motor vehicle, and several graduated driver's license violations.

A 15-year-old boy from Lisle had to be airlifted to Children's Memorial Hospital after the accident and was listed in critical condition. The victim was one of two passengers in the vehicle as it attempted to make a left turn into a Mobil service station.

The driver was treated, and taken into custody, by Naperville police. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle were treated at the scene and released.

Teen charged with DUI in evening crash, www.napervillesun.suntimes.com, February 6, 2011

Mayor Daley chose ex-CTA vice-president of construction, Pat Harney, to preside over the city's entire fleet.

Harney, was forced out of his $98K a year job with the CTA after his CTA-owned vehicle rear-ended another vehicle. Harney refused a breath test and was charged with driving under the influence and suspended without pay. Harney resigned from his position two weeks later. He said the incident was a "lapse in judgment and accepted his responsibility."

Since his 1998 DUI, Harney has held top jobs in Chicago's Department of Aviation and more recently as first chief deputy of staff overseeing more than $2.2 billion in federal stimulus funds that bankrolled transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the city and created 9,000 jobs.

In a written statement, Daley said Harney, "has the breadth of experience in the management facilties, infrastructure and maintenance needed to make him a good fit for this position."

New Chief of City cars has DUI arrest in past, www.suntimes.com, January 29, 2011

20 year old, Francisco Campos, was charged with aggravated DUI resulting in an accidental death, Chicago police said.

Campos was driving a 2003 Ford Explorer SUV that allegedly sped through a stop sign around two in the morning and struck another vehicle driven by Bahara Echmail. Campos' SUV struck two other parked cars before also hitting a tree. Campos could be facing felony DUI charges.

Echmail, whose Orthodox Christian family fled religious persecution in Iraq about five years before, was pronounced dead at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. His 14 year old sister, Berola, was one of four teens injured in the collision

Man charged in fatal collision-Crash killed teenage Iraqi Refugee, www.chicagotribune.com, January 23, 2011

Chicago Alderman Sharon Dixon (24th) is suing three Chicago police officers for her DUI arrest in 2009. The arrest took place on January 20, 2009, the same day as President Obama's inauguration. Dixon claims she drank a couple of glasses of wine at a friend's house in Evanston and was pulled over by Chicago police on Sheridan Road. Officers had set up a roadblock in an effort to control traffic in the proximity of a fatal Rogers Park fire. Dixon claims that she attempted to explain her confusion when she saw the roadblock but the officers became angry and agitated. She believes the officers were offended at her request for their badge numbers.

The officers claim that Dixon smelled like alcohol and failed field sobriety tests after a 30 minute argument. She was arrested and refused the Breathalyzer test. Dixon further claims she spent seven hours hand cuffed to a wall at a North Side police station and police waited until the press had arrived before they would release her.

In February of last year, a judge found that no probable cause existed for Dixon's DUI arrest and the charges were later dropped. Dixon pleaded guilty to obstruction of traffic and was fined $200. Dixon's attorney explained that serious damage was done to her reputation and is seeking a large amount of money in damages. She claims that the press was only present when she was arrested but not when he case was ultimately dismissed.

Ald.Dixon sues cops over 2009 drunk-driving arrest, www.suntimes.com, January 21, 2011

Alderwoman Sues Police Over DUI Charge, www.nbcchicago.com, January 19, 2011