Aggravated Speeding

Illinois has laws that are particularly tough on motorists who operate their vehicle on the public roads at high and excessive speeds. After you exceed the speed limits by a certain amount, you can be arrested and charged with a crime which could land you in jail leaving you with a criminal record that will appear on a routine background search. Many motorists are not aware of this until they are stopped by the police and issued the citation.

Generally speaking, Court Supervision is available for motorists charged with speeding. Court Supervision is not considered a conviction. As long as you successfully complete Court Supervision, which usually means that you received no tickets for a certain period of time, pay all the outstanding fines, fees, and Court costs, and do anything else that you are requested to complete, the ticket will not affect, or limit, your driver’s license and your ability to operate a motor vehicle in the State of Illinois.

Traffic Court Judges would sentence people to Court Supervision regularly. Many years ago, local media outlets published a series of investigative reports which highlighted how Court Supervision sentences had been abused in Traffic Court. Motorists, who were caught driving at a high rate of speed, and motorists who had a long history of speeding, were receiving Court Supervision on an all-too-regular regular basis. The investigative reports alarmed the public and caused the Illinois Legislature to enact laws which punished drivers caught driving at a high rate of speed much more severely than ever before in Illinois. Illinois made driving over the speed limit by certain excessive amounts an actual crime. The first such laws, set the threshold for making excessive driving a crime at 40 miles per hour over the speed limit. Since then, the threshold speed limit for charging a motorist with a crime has been reduced to 36 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

Driving 26 to 34 Miles Per Hour Over the Speed Limit is a Class B Misdemeanor in Illinois

Speeding becomes a crime in Illinois once you are caught driving 26 miles an hour, or more, over the posted speed limit. Driving 26 to 34 miles per hour over the posted speed limit is a Class B Misdemeanor in Illinois “625 ILCS 5/11-601.5(a)“. A Class B Misdemeanor carries a possible sentence of up to six months in County Jail, a possible criminal conviction that will appear on a background search, a fine not to exceed $1,500, a possible license suspension, and possibly being dropped by your auto insurance carrier, or an increase in your insurance premiums. While receiving a jail sentence for Aggravated Speeding is somewhat uncommon in Illinois, the possibility of jail exists and becomes much more of a possibility the faster you were caught driving over the posted speed limit.

Driving 35 Miles Per Hour Over the Speed Limit is a Class A Misdemeanor in Illinois

Driving 35 miles an hour, or more, over the posted speed limit, is a Class A Misdemeanor in Illinois. “625 ILCS 5/11-601.5(b)“. A Class A Misdemeanor carries a possible sentence of up to one year in County Jail, a possible criminal conviction that will appear on a background search, a fine not to exceed $2,500, a possible license suspension, and the possibility of being dropped by your insurance company, or the insurance company increasing your insurance premiums. The possibility of being sentenced to jail for Aggravated Speeding is more likely if you are charged with a Class A Misdemeanor for driving 35 miles an hour or more over the speed limit than you are for driving 26 to 34 miles an hour over the speed limit for a Class B Misdemeanor.

Can You Get Court Supervision for Aggravated Speeding?

You can be sentenced to Court Supervision for an Aggravated Speeding offense. However, there are limitations to Court Supervision for Aggravated Speeding. If the offense occurred in a construction zone, you cannot receive Court Supervision for the Aggravated Speeding. If the offense occurred in a school zone, you cannot receive Court Supervision for Aggravated Speeding. If you have received Court Supervision previously for Aggravated Speeding, you cannot receive Court Supervision for Aggravated Speeding.

James Dimeas Will Provide Effective and Aggressive Defense for Your Aggravated Speeding Case

James Dimeas is one of the leading traffic law attorneys in the State of Illinois. James Dimeas concentrates his practice exclusively in the area of criminal and traffic law cases. James Dimeas has handled thousands of Aggravated Speeding cases. James Dimeas understands the importance of having the charges dismissed or the charges reduced so that a criminal conviction does not appear on a background search. Since the State has the burden of proving each and every element of a criminal offense beyond a reasonable doubt, James Dimeas will point out the weaknesses in the State’s case and will make the State prove each and every element of the crime they are trying to convince you of. James Dimeas understands how to cross-examine police officers and to poke holes in the State’s case and create enough reasonable doubt to win your case. In addition, James Dimeas understands what needs to get done to have the ticket reduced to a petty moving offense so that you can avoid any possibility of having a criminal record or having your license suspended and your insurance premiums increased. When you are facing be possible suspension of your license and a criminal record, you should make sure that the lawyer you hire to represent you knows what they are doing and has a proven track record of getting the results you deserve.

Hire a Highly-Experienced Traffic Lawyer for Your Aggravated Speeding Case

James Dimeas is a nationally-recognized, award-winning, traffic lawyer, with over 29-years of experience handling Traffic and Aggravated Speeding cases throughout Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, and Lake County. Recently, James Dimeas was named a “Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer in the State of Illinois for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021” by the American Society of Legal Advocates. James Dimeas was named a “Best DUI Attorney”, a “Best DUI Lawyer in Schaumburg”, and a “Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in Chicago” by Expertise. James Dimeas was named a “Top 100 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer” by the National Trial Lawyers. The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys gave James Dimeas the “Top 10 Attorney Award for the State of Illinois”. James Dimeas is rated ‘Superb’ by AVVO, 10 out of 10, the highest rating possible for any DUI lawyer in the United States. The American Society of Criminal Law Attorneys named James Dimeas a ’10 Best Attorney for Client Satisfaction”. Attorney and Practice Magazine gave James Dimeas the “Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney Award for Illinois”.

If you are charged with Aggravated Speeding, you can contact James Dimeas anytime for a free and confidential consultation. You can speak to James Dimeas personally by calling 847-807-7405.