It looks like former Chicago Blackhawks hockey star Chris Chelios is finally out of the penalty box; as the Chicago Sun-Times reported that his DUI charges have been dropped. An impressive effort by his Chicago DUI lawyer to throw out police video evidence proved successful.
As you may recall, we blogged about the DUI arrest of Chris Chelios back in February.
Illinois DUI attorney Terry Ekl actually showed the aforementioned 15-minute video in a hearing to bolster his defense. DuPage County Judge Cary Pierce agreed with the defense and ruled that police lacked probable cause for the Dec. 28 arrest.
The video reportedly shows a wobbly Chris Chelios stepping out of his truck after police stopped him allegedly for weaving in his lane. His attorney argued that his wobbliness was a result of more than 10 knee operations sustained throughout his career, not booze.
In the video, Chris Chelios can be heard telling police he had "a couple" of drinks before getting behind the wheel. Now, the suppression of that same video helped his case. Why?
Judge Cary Pierce agreed to bar prosecutors from showing the video if the hockey veteran pushed for a trial, which they thought would help their case, according to the most recent Sun-Times article. So without evidence of blood-alcohol concentration, (Chris Chelios refused a breathalyzer test) or the video, prosecutors decided there was little chance of obtaining a guilty verdict or plea.
While the more-serious DUI charges were dropped, Chris Chelios was slapped with a $500 fine (chump change for a successful professional athlete) for speeding, and improper lane use citations. He reportedly said he was "very happy" with the judge's ruling and the dropped charges outside the Wheaton courtroom:
"I'm glad to put it behind me, and I'm going to learn from it.''
The lesson? Never underestimate the value of a skilled Chicago DUI attorney.
Related Resources:
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Westmont Police Pull Over Hockey Player Chris Chelios (Police Video, Chicago Sun-Times)
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Clippers Forward Zach Randolph Next in Pro Athlete DUI Parade? (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty Blog)
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Contact an Illinois DUI Lawyer (FindLaw)
