Under-aged drinking (but not driving) - this is not a DUI, but it could cost you your driver's license.

This Chicago DUI Lawyer has a message for all of you parents out there regarding anyone under the age of 21 who gets caught drinking, and what will happen to their driver's license; you may be in for a surprise. Currently, the law in Illinois permits the Secretary of State to suspend the driving privileges of anyone under the age of 21 who is charged with under-aged alcohol consumption or purchase. The minimum suspension is 3 months and the suspension can go up to 1 year. Even if there is no car involved! Your Illinois State legislators are currently considering revising the law so that a first offense would not trigger a suspension. I know it is difficult to understand how these laws pass muster when there is no vehicle involved in the under-aged alcohol offense, whether it is consumption or purchase. The State need only show that the suspension is rationally related to upholding the laws prohibiting under-aged alcohol consumption as well as safety on our public highways. This is certainly disconcerting for all those college campuses that are hosting the wine and cheeses with leading professors and other academics.