As was widely expected after her arrest on March 9, former Mount Prospect school bus driver Betty Burden entered a plea of "not guilty" to felony DUI charges, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Not guilty pleas are rare for DUI cases, which usually rest on the evidence obtained by breathalyzer tests.
Police say her blood-alcohol level topped out at a staggering 0.226 percent (nearly three times the legal limit). But her Illinois DUI lawyer, Ernest Blomquist, said he plans to challenge those results, according to comments he made to NBC Chicago reporters:
"We're going to fight this... She's got an absolutely clear driving record. She's been an exemplary employee."
The 54-year-old former bus driver was stopped by police shortly after finishing her 7-mile afternoon route. She reportedly delivered 50 elementary school children back home. A colleague had contacted the school district's transportation coordinator but it's not clear how the police were alerted.
Police did not find alcohol on the bus after stopping her, but allegedly smelled alcohol on her breath. She also allegedly told police that she consumed "a couple of screwdrivers" during her lunch break.
Betty Burden was given a field sobriety test (which she failed) and then gave her a breathalyzer test.
Ernest Blomquist contends that there are no traffic offenses that would have given police a reasonable cause to suspect drunk driving. She reportedly completed her route without incident, a fact backed by the official police report.
Bartender Tracy Kanelos told reporters that Betty Burden often would come into her bar with her husband but always abstained:
"She's never had a drop to drink there when I was there."
If you believe you were wrongly charged with a DUI, or that police didn't follow proper procedure, a Chicago DUI lawyer may be able to help you.
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DUI - Arraignment (FindLaw)
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