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Court Supervision May be Imposed for Certain Speeding Violations

If your traffic ticket alleges a violation of 625 ILCS 5/11-601(b) of the Illinois Vehicle Code, you have been charged with the violation of speeding.

Speeding tickets are moving violations. If you plead guilty to or are found guilty of a speeding violation, the Clerk of the Circuit court in the county where you have been ticketed will notify the Illinois Secretary of State of the result in your case. The Illinois Secretary of State maintains the driving records of all Illinois drivers. Whether you receive court supervision for or are convicted of a speeding violation, in both situations the Secretary of State will learn of the result.

The Secretary of State then will record that result on your Illinois driving record, also known as your “driver’s abstract.” Dispositions of court supervision are recorded on a separate page of your driver's abstract and are confidential. Such dispositions can be used only to supply the court, law enforcement agencies and the Illinois Secretary of State with information. This information may not be applied to suspend or revoke driving privileges, and cannot be made available to insurance companies.

Under the law, you are eligible to receive court supervision only 2 times for moving violations committed within a 12 month period. Before agreeing in court to a disposition of court supervision for a moving violation, the prosecutor typically will inquire about your driving record. Also, traffic court judges frequently ask drivers about their driving records when considering whether to grant court supervision in any given case.

Lawyer Defending Misdemeanor Speeding Violations 31+ and 40+ Over Limit

If your traffic ticket alleges a violation of 625 ILCS 5/11-601.5, you have been charged with the misdemeanor moving violation of speeding 31 or more or 40 or more miles over the speed limit. This type of ticket requires an appearance in court.

Speeding 31 miles per hour or more over the speed limit is defined as a "serious traffic violation" in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Unlike lesser alleged speeding violations, which are deemed to be “petty” offenses and therefore non-jailable, a speeding ticket charging a driver with going 31 or more over the speed limit now is a class B misdemeanor offense.

Class B misdemeanors are punishable by up to 180 days in jail and up to a $1,500.00 fine. Speeding 31 miles per hour or more over the speed limit became a misdemeanor in Illinois in January, 2011.

Speeding 40 or more miles per hour over the speed limit is a class A misdemeanor offense. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to 364 days in jail and up to a $2,500.00 fine. As of January 1, 2011, if you are charged with and found guilty of speeding 40 or more miles per hour over the speed limit, you are no longer eligible to receive court supervision. This means that if you are found guilty of this offense, a conviction will be placed on your driving record.

A second or subsequent violation of Section 11-601.5 within 2 years of the date of a previous violation will cause a 90 day suspension of your driver’s license. The Secretary of State also is authorized to suspend or revoke your driver’s license if you have been repeatedly convicted of moving violations “to a degree that indicates a lack of ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable care in the safe operation of a motor vehicle or disrespect for the traffic laws and the safety of other persons upon the highway.”

Read the Chicago Tribune's Article on Court Supervision and Excessive Speeding:

The following article describes the specific efforts of the Illinois State Police to apprehend and charge people traveling at excessive speeds on the Illinois interstate highway system, including I-94, I-294, I-90, I-290 and I-190 in the greater Chicagoland area. The article also describes the push made during calendar year 2010 by the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State to pass legislation that prohibits dispositions of court supervision for speeding violations 40 or more miles per hour over the speed limit.

The Office of the Secretary of State ultimately was successful in its quest for this tough new law. As is stated above, as of January 1, 2011, supervision is no longer an option for drivers found guilty of driving 40 or more miles per hour over the speed limit.

"Judges don't slow 100 mph speeders," published March 20, 2010.

Speeding Ticket Convictions Can Cause License Suspensions & Revocations

Unlike results of court supervision, convictions for multiple moving violations can lead to the suspension and even revocation of your driver’s license. The violation of speeding is but one of dozens of different kinds of moving violations listed in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Examples of other common moving violations, in addition to the violation of speeding, include improper lane use, disregarding a red light or stop sign, improper passing, failure to yield the right of way, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Because a speeding ticket alleges a moving violation, what happens with your speeding ticket can serve as a basis to suspend or revoke your driver’s license. In fact, one of the most basic and frequently-imposed Illinois driver’s license suspensions effects drivers who have accumulated too many convictions for moving violations in too short a period of time.

The circumstances in which a moving violation based suspension or revocation will be imposed differ, depending on whether you are over or under 21 years of age. If you are 21 years of age or older, and you are convicted of three moving violations committed within a single 12 month period, the Secretary of State will suspend or revoke your driver’s license:

Moving Violation Based License Suspension or Revocation for Drivers 21 and Over

If you are under 21 years of age, it takes only 2 convictions for moving violations committed within a much broader 24 month period for the Secretary of State to suspend or revoke your driving privileges:

Moving Violation Based License Suspension or Revocation for Drivers Under 21

Convictions for moving violations committed outside Illinois that are reported to Illinois also can be used as a basis to suspend or revoke your driver's license. If you are neither placed on court supervision for nor convicted of your speeding ticket, but instead your speeding ticket is simply dismissed, then no record of your ticket will be reported to the Secretary of State, and no record of that ticket ever will appear on your driver's abstract.

Attorney Matt Hoffman represents drivers charged with speeding tickets in the Lake County and Cook County, Illinois courts. He is a former traffic court prosecutor with over 10 years' experience handling alleged traffic violations. He routinely defends drivers facing speeding tickets and other allegations that can negatively impact their driving privileges. He offers a free consultation on every case.

Lake & Cook County Illinois Lawyer Defending Drivers Ticketed for Speeding Violations

Attorney Matt Hoffman has over 10 years' experience handling Illinois speeding violations. Matt appears routinely in the Lake County, Illinois traffic courts located in Park City, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, and Waukegan, and in the Cook County, Illinois traffic courts located in Rolling Meadows and Skokie. As a former Lake County traffic court prosecutor, Matt is able to identify and exploit legal and factual issues that can greatly benefit the outcome of your case.

Just because you have been charged with a speed violation does not mean you are automatically guilty. A traffic ticket is merely an allegation. Because of this, Matt knows that until you either plead guilty or are found guilty, you are presumed innocent of the charge.

Thus, in representing you in court, Matt will explore creative solutions for resolving your case, always with an emphasis on protecting your driving record. These solutions can include seeking the dismissal of the ticket, plea bargaining and negotiating for controlled results or lesser or amended charges, and even trial. Matt has over 10 years' experience as a trial lawyer.

Attorney Representing Clients Ticketed for Speeding Violations in Lake & Cook County IL

 of Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. represents clients charged with speeding tickets and all other Illinois traffic and moving violations at the following Lake and Cook County, Illinois traffic courts:

There are many different police departments that forward speeding tickets to the six local traffic courthouses in Northeastern Illinois for disposition. These courthouses include those located at Park City, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, Waukegan, Rolling Meadows and Skokie. If you were ticketed for a speeding violation within the jurisdiction of any of these six court venues, it is likely that you were cited by one of the following police departments. The Law Office of Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. defends clients charged with traffic violations issued by these and other area police agencies: