DuPage County Rolls Out \’No Refusal\’ Weekend Over Labor Day – Naperville, IL Patch
DuPage County law enforcement will run its first-ever “No Refusal” weekend over the Labor Day holiday, officials announced today.
During a “No Refusal” weekend, motorists stopped on suspicion of drunken driving are asked to submit to a breath test. If they refuse, a search warrant will immediately be sought by police and prosecutors to obtain a blood sample from the driver. A licensed phlebotomist will be on hand to draw the arrestee’s blood for DUI testing following the issuance of a search warrant.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Sheriff John Zaruba are rolling out “No Refusal” as a way to combat a growing number of drivers who decline to submit to a breath test after a DUI arrest.
Berlin cited U.S. Department of Transportation statistics that state approximately 25 percent of all drivers stopped for DUI refuse a breath test.
“Their refusal can make it more difficult to prosecute DUI cases. Chronic drunk drivers know this and attempt to skirt the law by refusing to be tested,” Berlin stated in a release.
In 2008, neighboring Kane County was one of the first counties in Illinois to launch a “No Refusal” program amid some complaints from DUI attorneys and civil liberties proponents.
via DuPage County Rolls Out \’No Refusal\’ Weekend Over Labor Day – Naperville, IL Patch.