Illinois Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Greenville, gave a public apology to his constituents for his recent arrest on DUI charges, according to the Belleville News-Democrat. He was speaking at last Monday's Highland City Council meeting about the 2011 state budget.
The apology was Ron Stephens' first public statement about last month's arrest:
"I made a huge mistake a few months ago when I made the decision to drive impaired. I tell my children that decisions have consequences, and I am paying those consequences."
The 62-year-old state lawmaker pleaded guilty to a DUI after Decatur police stopped him as he was on his way home from a dinner party. He told the officer that he drank two whiskeys and a soda and had a blood-alcohol content of 0.101 percent, according to a breathalyzer test.
He received a one-year court supervision, which is essentially probation, and his driver's license was suspended until Oct. 30. His Illinois DUI lawyer probably told him about the option of using a breath alcohol ignition interlock device, as explained on the Secretary of State's web site.
The humbled state representative told the city council meeting attendees that he was humiliated and embarrassed by the incident.
Perhaps even more embarrassing, though, was the Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation's recent decision to not renew his pharmacist's license. The department placed his license on probation in 2001 after it was discovered he took controlled substances from his pharmacy for personal use.
It's not clear if his DUI arrest prompted the decision not to renew his pharmacist's license, which expires in 2012.
Even if you plan to plead guilty after being charged with a DUI, Chicago DUI lawyers often are able to provide a softer landing in court.
Related Resources:
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Ignition Interlock Devices (FindLaw)
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DUI First Time Offenders May Get Interlock Devices (FindLaw's Blotter Blog)
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Call a Chicago DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
