Chicago DUI Lawyer Blog

A 50-year-old man from Washington, Stephen Dapogny, was pronounced dead 12 minutes after being struck by a Cadillac Seville on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive.

The driver of the Cadillac, Jimmy Members, was charged with aggravated DUI after striking the pedestrian in the roadway.

Members had allegedly been drinking and partying at a bar on the South Side when he and a companion decided to go to a bar on the North Side. Members was arrested at the scene after officers suspected the traffic accident was alcohol related. Two hours after the crash, Members blood alcohol content was 0.081 percent. Bail was set at $150,000.

Members was previously arrested for DUI in 2009 but charges were later dismissed.

Cops: Man charged in fatal drunk driving crash near Millennium Park, www.chicagotribune.com, September 26, 2011

Eduardo Perez, 31, of Riverside, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and possession of a controlled substance. He was also cited for several other traffic violations.

Perez was stopped after officers claim he was driving erratically. He was seen crossing the yellow center line and weaving in and out of traffic. Officers also saw him enter a wrong lane and nearly hit several vehicles. After the stop, the arresting officers reportedly witnessed him snorting and licking white powder from his hands as they approached the vehicle.

Perez was taken from the car and handcuffed. Drug-sniffing dogs helped officers find heroin and drug residue inside the vehicle. Bail was set at $75,000 for Perez.

Stopped motorist snorted heroin in front of officer, police say, www.chicagotribune.com, September 24, 2011

Sheila Kane, 30, was charged with aggravated DUI after she struck a bicyclist on the Near West Side. Witnesses at a bar reported seeing Kane consume six vodka drinks before getting behind the wheel of her vehicle.

Kane reportedly crashed into a barrier causing the vehicle to flip over before striking the bicyclist. The victim is in critical condition and on a ventilator after sustaining serious brain injuries as a result of the crash. Kane admitted to having three vodka drinks but refused testing. Kane's blood alcohol content was .201 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

Woman accused of drinking six vodkas before driving into bicyclist, www.suntimes.com, September 5, 2011

Police were unable to release the name of a man charged with Driving Under the Influence after a crash on the Eisenhower Expressway.

The unidentified man crashed into a tree alongside the expressway after his SUV swerved off the road. Both he and a male passenger were trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extracted by Chicago Fire Department personnel.

Both men were take to nearby hospitals in serious conditions, however, their injuries were non life-threatening.

Driver cited with DUI in crash that injured 2 in Eisenhower accident, www.chicagotribune.com, September 5, 2011

Henry Jesus Mendez, 21, was arrested in connection with car chase that resulted in a crash in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.

Mendez allegedly began firing a gun at individuals he recently had an altercation with at a nearby nightclub. Police officers heard the gunshots and responded to the scene where witnesses pointed out the car as it drove away. Also in the car were two women and a fourth person who escaped and still remains unidentified.

Mendez crashed the car into a pole near Belmont and Sheffield and all occupants allegedly fled the vehicle. Mendez was charged with felony reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated fleeing from the police. He was also charged with several traffic citations for running red lights, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and damaging city property. According to police, Mendez disobeyed 10 stop signs and red lights.

The two women with Mendez - Tiffany Marie Sanchez, 24, and Vanessa Fernandez, 20, were both charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct.

NW side man charged in car chase, www.chicagotribune.com, September 5, 2011

Diana Paz, 35, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence during an early Friday morning stop. About two hours later she was released and dropped off at a BP gas station near the Eisenhower Expressway. Thirty minutes later she was struck and killed as she walked along the median of the expressway.

Paz was arrested for DUI after she refused a Breathalyzer and failed field sobriety test.

Paz's family is questioning why the police released her so close to the highway if she was still under the influence. However, police said in a statement that she was "alert" at the time they dropped her off and that she had stated that she had "no family or means of transportation." Paz requested a ride to a nearby gas station and, as a courtesy, the trooper dropped her off after obtaining approval from the supervisor.

State police say they are not sure why she was on the median but are reviewing video footage from the gas station.

Woman killed on Eisenhower after police release her for DUI, www.chicagotribune.com, September 3, 2011

State Representative Randy Ramey was arrested for DUI after allegedly failing four field sobriety tests and a breath test. His blood alcohol level was reportedly over twice the legal limit at 0.179.

Ramey was initially stopped for improper lane usage. Officer's described Ramey as "very cooperative." He is being charged with driving under the influence as well as other traffic citations.

In a recent statement Ramey apologized saying, "I regret and take full responsibility for my actions and I am prepared to face the consequences."

Ramey, prior to becoming a legislator, worked for the Secretary of State and served on the House Drivers Education and Safety Committee and the Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee.

Dupage County Republican chairman Ramey apologized for DUI stop, www.chicagotribune.com, August 30, 2011

38-year-old Ignacio Ramirez is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after a crash that resulted in the death of a bicyclist.

The bicyclist, identified as 30 year old Fredrick Kobrick, was riding in the the bicycle lane when he was struck by Ramirez who allegedly fled the scene of the accident. Kobrick was rushed to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead later that morning. Ramirez was located and taken into custody a few blocks away from the accident.

Ramirez has also been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and several traffic tickets, including failure to stop at a stop sign and driving without a license or insurance. His blood alcohol level was not made available.

Man charged with DUI in Pilsen hit-and-run of bicyclist, www.chicagotribune.com, August 24, 2011

Ingnacio Ramirez charged with DUI in Pilsen hit-and-run crash that killed cyclist, www.huffingtonpost.com, August 24, 2011

Bruce Brandwein, defense attorney for Alia Bernard, will argue that the "any amount" of marijuana law recently passed by the Illinois Supreme Court is unconstitutional and violates equal protection under the law.

Bernard was originally charged with reckless homicide, but aggravated DUI charges were filed after blood test detected some amount of marijuana in her system. She could face up to 28 years in prison if convicted. Bernard, 27, allegedly caused a fatal 9 vehicle pile-up when she rear-ended a stopped car and pushed the vehicle into an oncoming group of motorcyclist. Two people involved in the crash died and 12 others were injured.

Brandwein has motioned to have the aggravated DUI charges thrown out. Lead prosecutors on the case say they will fight Brandwein's motion. Both sides will argue their positions in court on September 30, 2011.

Attorney in fatal crash says pot law is unconstitutional, www.dailyherald.com, August 23, 2011

Pot DUI Evidence Against Alia Bernard To Be Heard In Car-Crash Reckless Homicide Case, www.huffintonpost.com, April 21, 2011