News - VIEW SPECIAL NOTICES
< Back to courses

Number: 720

Mandates:
  • Civil Rights
  • Constitutional Use of Law Enforcement Authority
  • Legal Updates
  • Procedural Justice
May 31, 2023
0830 - 1630

This course was developed with the intent of providing law enforcement and prosecutors with the knowledge and skills to successfully use the proper Warnings to Motorist and remove the impaired drivers from our Illinois roadways. Additionally, attendees will be provided with a case law update to help them navigate their way through DUI courts.

Every year, impaired drivers cause thousands of traffic deaths and injuries. Prosecutors and law enforcement officers need the skills to be sure that the summary suspensions are not rescinded. This starts with the law enforcement officer being aware of which of the many Warnings to Motorists are appropriate in each situation. This course will also help instruct officers and prosecutors on how to navigate a successful DUI Cannabis investigation.

For the Officers: This course will instruct officers on the 5 most commonly used Warnings to Motorists regarding the Illinois implied consent law. The officer will be able to recognize which Warning to read depending on the facts presented. The officers will understand how to utilize the Cannabis DUI Warning to Motorist and appreciate the differences between it and a standard DUI Warning to Motorist. They will be instructed on how to articulate drug impairment versus alcohol impairment on the witness stand. Additionally, they will know how to amend their sworn reports and will also know how to assist the Prosecutor in the courtroom with effective testimony during the summary suspension hearings to avoid having the suspension rescinded.

For the Prosecutors: This program will provide prosecutors with the tools on how to successfully defend Petitions to Rescind Summary Suspensions. They will be instructed on how to secure blood draws from the hospital and how to successfully use them in their prosecutions. They will walk away from this course with the confidence needed in their DUI case so as not to feel compelled to negotiate the suspension as part of the criminal case. Prosecutors will have a better understanding of the Warnings that Officers use and will be able to assist the officer on the witness stand in persuading the judge/jury what drug impairment looks like on a DUI case. Additionally, they will be well versed in the relevant case law.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the five most commonly used Warnings to Motorist and recognize under what circumstances each Warning should be utilized
  • Amend defective reports
  • Navigate through a DUI Cannabis investigation
  • Articulate drug impairment on the witness stand
  • Know how to use hospital blood results in the DUI case.
  • Successfully defend Petitions to Rescind Statutory Summary Suspensions
  • Cite the relevant case law
  • Be better prepared to testify at Summary Suspension Hearings