CBS Chicago reported the news that 26-year-old Garritt M. Cullerton was arrested on suspicion of a DUI. That alone might not be particularly newsworthy, but the fact that he is the son of state Senate President John Cullerton and that he was busted in an official Illinois Senate vehicle certainly is worth some ink (or pixels).
Chicago Police told reporters that Garritt Cullerton was stopped after midnight last Sunday and allegedly had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, which is twice the legal limit. He also was charged with negligent driving and improper lane usage.
But even though he's the son of the state's most powerful legislator, he'll still need a Chicago DUI lawyer to help him get out of this jam. First-time DUI offenders in Illinois have the opportunity to drive on condition of using a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID), which only allows the engine to start after the driver first proves his or her sobriety.
However, what would Illinois Sen. President John Cullerton think about having a BAIID device attached to one of the state legislature's official vehicles? The Democratic senator already sounds quite embarrassed by the incident; at least according to a press statement released by his spokeswoman the day after his son's arrest:
"A Senate vehicle assigned to the Senate President for official legislative business was used by his son without his authorization. The Senate President is disappointed that this incident occurred and takes this matter very seriously. He will work to ensure that this does not occur in the future."
So Garritt Cullerton took his dad's car (actually, it belongs to the people of Illinois) without asking? Like all suspects, he's innocent until proven guilty; but it sounds like Sen. John Cullerton already is distancing himself from his allegedly wayward son.
Related Resources:
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Drunk Driving Sentencing (FindLaw)
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DUI Stars: Antoine Walker, Sam Shepard and Charles Barkley Illustrate Drunk Driving Risks (FindLaw's Common Law Blog)
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Find a Chicago DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
