It wasn’t his first such arrest. Selinger was picked up on suspicion of driving under the influence in 1993, 2001 and 2007, and there may have been earlier arrests that are no longer available in court records. But Selinger has so far managed to avoid being convicted of DUI. His 1993 arrest resulted in a plea of guilty to reckless driving, with court supervision and a $750 fine. The DUI charge against him in 2001 was reduced to reckless driving, and Selinger again got court supervision and a $300 fine. For his 2007 DUI arrest, Selinger once more pleaded down to reckless driving and received court supervision and a $1,000 fine.
Though most of the court records pertaining to Selinger’s previous driving history are no longer available, records from his 2007 DUI case seem to show a clear case of DUI. The officer who arrested Selinger in that case reported finding him “passed out behind wheel of vehicle,” and noted a “strong odor of alcoholic beverage on breath/person, open alcohol in vehicle, admit to beers prior to driving, slurred speech.”
With cases that seem like slam dunks for prosecutors, it’s unclear how Selinger avoided serious repercussions for his behavior. Illinois law allows a drunk driver to be charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol for a third offense, but Selinger’s previous DUI arrests don’t count toward that total because those cases didn’t result in DUI convictions. If Selinger had been convicted of his previous DUI charges, he would now face a Class 4 felony charge, which carries a possible prison sentence of between one and three years.
Meanwhile, Sangamon County Associate Judge John Madonia granted Selinger his driver’s license back in the current DUI case after a “statutory summary suspension” – a temporary suspension based on Selinger’s refusal to take a blood-alcohol test. Illinois Secretary of State spokesman Dave Druker says Selinger’s license is “currently functioning.” It is unclear whether Madonia put any restrictions on Selinger’s driving privileges.
In addition to reckless driving convictions in 1993, 2001 and 2007, Selinger pleaded guilty to driving without a license in 2007 and has been convicted of illegal transportation of alcohol at least once before.
Selinger’s DUI case stemming from his November 2010 arrest is scheduled for trial on Aug. 29. He is also charged with one count of illegal transportation of alcohol and one count of squealing tires. Selinger’s attorney, Adam Giganti of Springfield, declined to comment and indicated Selinger would not comment.
Contact Patrick Yeagle at pyeagle@illinoistimes.com.
