Wednesday, February 2, 2011

2011 New Illinois Speeding Law

A new speeding law went into effect the beginning of this year which could drastically change the way traffic tickets have been handled throughout the State of Illinois for many years.  Speeding 30 mph over the limit is no longer simply a traffic offense.  It is now a Class B Misdemeanor which carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in the county jail and a maximum fine of $1,500.  Speeding 40 mph over the limit has always been a Class A Misdemeanor which carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in the county jail and a maximum fine of $2,500.  What has been changed about speeding 40 mph over the limit is that drivers can no longer receive court supervision if they are convicted of this offense.  Court supervision is a sentence that allows drivers to keep their criminal record clean and eventually expunge the entire matter from the public record.  The only sentence available for driver's convicted of speeding 40 mph over the limit is conditional discharge or a misdemeanor conviction.  But a skilled attorney may be able to avoid this harsh penalty by negotiating a plea with the prosecutor that would involve the state reducing the charge to speeding under 40 mph over the limit.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

1 comment:

Aaron Bennett said...

Last year I was hearing something about the IL legislature passing a speeding law that you can receive a speeding tic ket in the mail from the red light cameras. Is this still being debated in IL congress or has something like it already passed?

Thanks,
Aaron

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