In Illinois, school zones are specially protected areas. Crimes committed on or near school campuses are taken very seriously and punished more harshly. The goal behind sentencing and charging enhancements for certain crimes that occur in school zones is to protect students. There is no doubt that it is unsafe for children to encounter intoxicated drivers while they are entering or leaving their schools. The increased traffic, impatience of other drivers, and sometimes confusing traffic patterns during pick-up and drop-off times all make it even more likely that a drunk driver will cause a traffic accident. The presence and unpredictability of children make it sadly more likely that a child could be injured by an impaired driver in a school zone.
DUI with bodily injury in a school zone is an automatic felony charge in Illinois. If you are facing this extremely serious accusation, you need a highly experienced Joliet, IL aggravated DUI attorney. Courts can be very harsh in their treatment of DUI offenders who have endangered students in a school zone.