Chicago DUI lawyer answers the question "Can I get my DUI removed from my record"?

This Chicago DUI lawyer is hopeful that Illinois will soon follow California's lead and lessen the fallout of a DUI on the offender. I've posted here and here about some of the consequences of a Chicago DUI. Last week it was reported that actor/director Mel Gibson's DUI was being expunged. Yes we all know that Gibson was charged with a DUI. It was a big news story at the time because of his peculiar behavior. But last week, Gibson was purportedly treated like other DUI defendants in California and his DUI was expunged.

October 7, Los Angeles, CA

In a brief hearing held at the Oscar winner's request, a judge agreed to expunge Gibson's drunk-driving conviction. The initial arrest made headlines when the star was reported to have made anti-Semitic comments to a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.

"He does not appear to be on any sort of probation or facing any similar charges," Judge Lawrence J. Mira said as a videographer for a celebrity news website taped the proceeding. "So I will grant the petition and sign the order." Mira noted that the charge is "still valid for gun control purposes."

Like most first-time drunk-driving offenders, Gibson, 53, was eligible to have his conviction expunged after completing the terms of his probation. Those terms included attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, appearing in public service announcements and paying $1,300 in fines. Neither Gibson nor his attorney was required to appear.

Unfortunately, in Illinois there is no similar relief for first time DUI offenders. It is often a lapse and many folks with DUI's in their backgrounds have no other criminal history. Isn't it time, especially in this era of background checks to get a job, that first time DUI offenders in Illinois get the same benefit- of- the- doubt that celebrities, like Mel Gibson, receive?