Did you know you can be charged with a misdemeanor and be required to go to court if you are pulled over for speeding? If you are going 26 miles over any posted speed limit, you have committed a crime under Illinois law. While it may sound like a silly, small law, it can have a major impact on your life and can even require jail time. If you are facing criminal speeding charges, it is important to hire an experienced criminal traffic defense attorney.
Illinois Law
It used to be that Illinois drivers faced misdemeanor charges if caught speeding more than 30 miles over the speed limit. Since 2014, however, that law was made more stringent, and 26 miles per hour over the speed limit is now the threshold for misdemeanor speeding charges to be brought. Section 11-601.5 states that a person driving 26-34 miles per hour above the speed limit commits a Class B misdemeanor and a person driving 35 miles per hour or more over the speed limit commits a Class A misdemeanor.