A recent ruling came down for former Lake County Chief Judge, David Hall, who was arrested in April 2008 for suspicion of DUI.  A Lake County Judge ruled last week that the blood sample taken from Hall on the night of his arrest will be admissible at his December trial.  The sample showed a blood-alcohol content of over .08, the legal limit in Illinois.

Hall's attorneys argued Monday that the blood test should not be admissible in court, because of the time that lapsed between when it was drawn and tested, and because of the chain of custody the sample went through from the time it was drawn at the hospital to when it was taken to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab in Westchester 19 days later.

The argument fell short and the test results will be used at the December 14 trial.

Chain of custody is a crucial aspect of many criminal trials . First, it can ensure that evidence is not tainted or tampered prior to being entered into evidence at trial.  Also, it keeps our prosecutors in check and ensures that they are doing their job ethically.  We must always hold our prosecutors and police agencies accountable for the evidence they plan on introducing at trial. Regardless, the chain of custody in Hall's DUI case appears to have met that standard. Not even Chief Judges are not above the law.

To read the entire article about this DUI case, click here.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a DUI or other traffic violation, then call attorney Aaron Bryant to help protect your rights. 312-588-3384