Chicago DUI lawyer provides proof that getting your license back after a Chicago DUI is an uphill battle

I have posted on the perils of a Chicago DUI and what it can mean for your ability to keep your car , your job , your money , and your driving privileges . It looks, like one young man, living his life in Indiana, had no idea that a 46 year old Illinois DUI would prevent him from renewing his Indiana driving privileges.

May 5, Chicago, Il 

If you don't believe in Big Brother, give Jim Lewis a call.

He's living an absolute nightmare.

Jim, 78, has been married for 58 years and is retired. He lives in Valparaiso. Life is good. Or it was until he went last year to renew his Indiana driver's license.

When the clerk at the Portage license branch put Jim's name in the computer, he was flagged.

The Problem Driver Pointer System said there was an "indicator" associated with Jim's name.

The PDPS is a nationwide system showing a person's driving history.

The "indicator" essentially said Jim was too big a threat to put back on the road.

It seems that in 1963 -- that's 46 years or 10 presidents ago -- Jim was convicted of drunken driving in Illinois.

Jim went to Porter-Starke Services Inc. for evaluation and got the green light.

"I do not feel that (Jim) needs any alcohol treatment or education. He has maintained his sobriety for the past 40 years and is not a risk to drive," the evaluator said.

Forty years. The man hasn't had a drink for 40 years, and he's being harassed by bureaucrats in Illinois and Indiana.

So, Jim submitted the evaluation to Illinois prior to his hearing on Feb. 23.

On April 3, Jim's petition for relief from Illinois was denied. That's cold.

Hearing officer Mary Skerrett, in issuing her denial, said, "(Jim) has failed to carry his burden of proving that he has satisfactorily resolved his alcohol problem and that he would be a safe and responsible driver if granted driving relief."

Do you think you are going to have an easier time getting your diver's license back after a 21st century Chicago DUI?