Although I try and keep this blog limited to California DUI topics, sometimes DUI stories in other states are too good to pass up.
Erin James, of Brookfield, Illinois, did not learn her lesson from her prior DUI. In fact, she used the completion of it as a reason to celebrate with some drinks. At least that’s what she told the cops when they arrested her on suspicion of driving under the influence.
A Riverside, Illinois police officer observed James, 58, speeding in her vehicle on May 3rd in a suburb east of Chicago. After stopping James, the officer suspected that she was under the influence and had her perform several field sobriety tests. James allegedly failed all of the tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
James later provided a breath sample at the Riverside Police Department and it was determined that her blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit at 0.155 percent. Officers also conducted a license check on her and determined that her license was currently suspended from a 2012 DUI conviction. While being processed at the Riverside Police Station, James allegedly told officers that she had been drinking to celebrate getting her license back from her prior DUI arrest.
“James was supposed to be operating a vehicle with a breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) which would have prevented her from driving intoxicated,” Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said. “The fact that she was driving a vehicle not equipped with a BAIID shows that she had every intent of drinking and getting behind the wheel. Ms. James purposely drove a car that she did not own to avoid the ignition lock device and was driving back from a Forest Park bar where she was celebrating that fact that she would finally have her driving privileges back after her 2012 conviction for DUI.”
It makes one wonder about the effectiveness of some DUI programs. I’m only assuming that James attended some kind of court ordered DUI program following her prior DUI conviction. Either way, it’ll likely be a long time before James will be able to celebrate the completion of her current DUI.
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