Say you are involved in a car accident, and at the scene of the accident you are accused of driving drunk. You may be charged with DUI. You may additionally face a personal injury lawsuit from the other party involved in the accident alleging that you caused the collision by driving drunk.

Then, assume you successfully defend your case in court and the DUI charge is dropped. You are free and clear of everything associated with the crash, right? Not exactly. The DUI was a criminal charge, and the personal injury claim was a civil charge. It is entirely possible for each to have different outcomes, and for you to be found innocent, but not liable for the victim’s damages. Or vice versa.

The Difference Between Civil and Criminal Rulings

If you have been charged with a crime, one of the steps in the criminal justice process is the discovery process. Discovery is when both parties involved in a case collect information from each other about their perspectives on the case and their evidence. One way to do this is with a deposition, an interview conducted under oath. Often, witnesses are required to undergo depositions. Sometimes, the defendant is required to undergo one as well. If you are asked to complete a deposition, your criminal defense lawyer can help you prepare for it. Expect the following from your deposition:

You will be Under Oath

As the defendant, you cannot be subjected to a deposition without your consent. If you do consent to the deposition, you will be under oath during it and must tell the truth to every question asked.

When you have an arrest or conviction on your criminal record, the thought of having to disclose the details about the arrest or conviction can be mortifying. With casual acquaintances, you can choose not to answer questions about your criminal past — although information about your criminal record is publicly available, most people will not take the time to seek yours out. Whether you should be honest about your criminal record with friends and acquaintances or not is your personal choice. 

When it comes to interactions with your employer, a prospective landlord, a college or university to which you are seeking admission, or even a reality show you would like to appear on, the rules are a bit different.

In Illinois, the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act makes it illegal for employers to ask about applicants’ criminal records until later stages in the hiring process, which means you cannot be required to check a box related to your criminal history on a job application. If you are concerned about how your criminal record can impact your opportunities, consider seeking an expungement. 

When you are accused of driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit of 0.08 percent — or 0.04 if you are driving a commercial vehicle as part of your job, or 0.00 percent if you are younger than 21 — you can be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, or DUI.

DUI is a serious charge. A DUI conviction can result in steep fines, jail time, and a driver’s license suspension, among other penalties. Although you can fight a DUI charge just like you can fight any other criminal charge, it is much easier to avoid being charged in the first place than it is to fight a DUI. Understanding how your body metabolizes alcohol and how your BAC rises as you drink can help you avoid a DUI.

BAC Reduces by About .015 Percent Per Hour

In Illinois, every individual convicted of a sex crime is required to register with the Illinois Sex Offender Registry. Individuals who are adjudicated as sexually dangerous and individuals who are charged with sex crimes but found not guilty for reason of insanity are also required to register as sex offenders.

The sex offender registry exists to provide information to others in sex offenders’ communities that can help them make decisions about where to buy and rent homes and about whether or not to develop relationships with the convicted sex offenders. Sex offenders are required to register for 10 years after their convictions and renew their registrations annually.

All the Information you are Required to Provide