Former Police Detective Pleads Guilty in Fatal DUI Case

J.F. recently pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence charges. The accident occurred in April 2009 when an off duty Chicago police detective reportedly crashed his SUV into a disabled vehicle. The sedan involved in the collision was stalled on the Dan Ryan Expressway and burst into flames after the impact. Two men ages 21 and 23 were in the sedan at the time and died. A witness to the accident stated that he helped J.F. out of his SUV and then saw him leaving the scene of the accident on foot. J.F. was picked up by police and taken into custody shortly afterwards. He was reportedly found to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.24 percent—three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent. No matter how simple or complex the circumstances, get the help of a DUI defense attorney immediately for your case!

Additional Charges Pending in Connection to Deadly Accident

J.F.'s police powers were suspended shortly after his arrest for the incident. He resigned from the police department days before his court date where he pled guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI. Additional charges have been filed against the ex-policeman claiming that he intentionally fled the accident scene. J.F.'s defense lawyer is disputing the charges on the basis that J.F. was injured, disoriented and "…in a fog" after the severe collision and did not purposely leave the accident site. The man's sentence has not yet been handed down but it could include many years in state prison as well as thousands in fines. If he is found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident additional prison time and fines may be assessed.

Contact a DUI Defense Lawyer Immediately

Contact the Law Offices of Mitch Furman & Associates right away if you have been arrested or charged with driving under the influence. Aggravated DUI charges have much more severe penalties than a charge such as a first time DUI and you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Aggravated DUI is often charged in cases involving a BAC over 0.16 percent, multiple DUI (a third or subsequent DUI conviction), accident involving the injury of a child or death of any individual of any age, DUI with a child under the age of 16 present in the vehicle, etc. When penalties for a conviction can be many years in prison and thousands upon thousands of dollars in fines then it is crucial that you have a tough defense attorney fighting for you.