Your Fourth Amendment rights protect you

Illinois residents may not be aware that the state police has set up 24-hour semi-truck inspections. One of the aims is to ensure that truck drivers are not spending too much time on the road. Federal and state regulations regulate the hours truck drivers can spend on the road continuously and how long they need to rest before going out again. One of their recent inspections resulted in the discover of an allegedly drunk driver.

According to investigators, the truck driver tried not to stop initially, but then eventually did but seemed to be in a combative mood. Further, they claim that they discovered alcohol containers in the cab of his truck, leading them to surmise that he might have been drinking behind the wheel.

According to police investigators, they also received some phone calls about a truck driver who was weaving in and out of traffic. Charges are expected to follow as the case has been handed over to the State Attorney’s Office.

Drunk driving charges should be taken seriously, as a conviction may lead to license suspension, which can affect a person’s job prospects, especially when one’s vocation involves driving vehicles. It might even lead to an ignition interlock device, into which the driver must breathe before turning on the vehicle and periodically breathe into throughout the drive. A strong DUI defense should attack every aspect of the prosecution’s case, including the original cause behind the driver’s stop. It may be possible that the original stop was illegal, therefore all ensuing evidence obtained could be thrown out. It may be possible to discuss one’s options with an experienced defense attorney.

Source: Fox2now, “Drunk tractor-trailer driver apprehended in southern Illinois,” Kelley Hoskins, March 30, 2017