This year, the United States Supreme Court is going to address the reliablility of Canine Units used in drug searches and seizures.  At issue is whether or not law enforcement is allowed to rely on the actions or behaviour of a drug dog before they seize and/or search individuals.

The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures by law enforcement. There must be reasonable suspicion or probable cause to conduct a search.   Often, law enforcement relies on a drug dog who "hits" on a particular item or area indicating that narcotics or controlled substances may be present.  How reliable is the drug dog?    Is the police officer's interpretation of the what the dog is indicating accurate?

I have represented hunderd of individuals charged with Dupage County drug offenses, Kane County drug offenses, and Cook County drug offenses.  When faced with a client who has been searched as a result of a drug dog "sniff", I look closely at the training records of the dog and the training and experience of the police officer who handled the dog and conducted the search.

Some DuPage County traffic offenses in can result in criminal penalties and the loss of your driver's license.  If you are charged with DuPage County Reckless Driving or Street Racing offenses, you should get a lawyer to make sure you avoid criminal penalties (including jail), and the possible loss of your license.     Last month, I represented a DuPage traffic client charged with multiple offenses including street racing.   By exposing weaknesses in the prosecutor's case, several of the charges were dismissed and my client avoided criminal charges and avoided a conviction on the remaining traffic tickets, and he did not lose his driver's license.   Traffic attorney Stephen A. Brundage has handled 1000's of traffic offenses in the counties of DuPage, Kane, Cook, Will, Kendall and Lake counties.  Always contact an experienced traffic lawyer if you are faced with serious traffic offenses.

In a prior article, I explained the importance of trying to avoid a summary suspension of your driver's license if you are arrested for Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol ( DUI ).    Recently this came to light in a DUI case I handled for a Cook County DUI client.     Although he submitted to a breath test which showed at .18% blood alcohol level, I was able to negotiate with the prosecutor to avoid the suspension of his license.  Whether you receive a DuPage County DUI, Kane County DUI, or Cook County DUI,  always obtain the services of a DUI attorney familiar with the defenses or negotiation  options.   The Law Office of Stephen Brundage can help.    Attorney Stephen A. Brundage has handled over 500 DUI cases and has prior experience as a police officer who specialized in DUI enforcement and training.

I recently represented a client who had an Order of Protection filed against her.   Despite testimony from the alleged victim claiming my client was harrassing and threatening her, I convinced the court to dismiss the Order of Protection against my client.  The judge cited the lack of evidence and noted the credibility of my client.  The DuPage County Order of Protection was then dismissed.   Be sure to protect your rights if you are ever involved in an Order of Protection.  The Law Office of Stephen Brundage concentrates in representing individuals accused of crimes and violations of orders of protection in Dupage County and surrounding counties.

Currently, speeding 40 mph or more over the limit results in a conviction and the loss of your driver's license.  In other words, you cannot receive Court Supervision for that type of offense.   That type of speeding charge can be devastating to your driving privileges.

Now, new legislation is pending that would  prohibit getting court supervision for speeding more that 30 mph over the limit.  In some areas, such as an urban (residential), the benchmark is lowered to 25 mph over the limit.

What does this mean to Illinois Motorists?   Basically , their opportunity to keep these types of speeding tickets off their records evaporates, which will cause a much larger segment of our driving population to lose their driver's licenses because of suspension and revocations.  Also, their insurance rates will increase significantly.