Feb. 5, 2005 – Crackdown on Unsafe Drivers

Illinois lawmakers join a nationwide movement voicing support for proposals to toughen laws against drunken and negligent drivers. Illinois bills were introduced this week in the General Assembly and announced at a news conference in Wheaton.

"The battle against drunken driving will not be won with passage of these bills, but we know that with these new tools, lives will be saved, and justice will be served," said DuPage County State's Atty. Joseph Birkett.

"The offenders should not be protected by a statute of limitations," Birkett said. "Victims of these crimes and their families deserve finality and closure, even if it comes after years of investigation."

The bills are aimed at toughening penalties for impaired drivers and expanding prosecutorial powers.

One bill would remove the three-year statute of limitations in hit-and-run cases with fatalities or injuries. It arose from a 1999 Winfield case in which Patrick Leahy, 6, was killed. The statute imposed a 2002 deadline for Birkett's office to charge a suspect.

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