Ryan Bill Aims to Expand Public Defender Assistance in Illinois Courts

State Rep. Rick Ryan, D-Evergreen Park, is expanding legal assistance for Illinois drivers charged with driving under the influence (DUI) with a new measure that will allow public defenders to represent DUI clients in both criminal cases and civil hearings.

“If a driver charged with DUI requires a public defender to help with their criminal case, then there’s no reason that the same lawyer shouldn’t be able to assist their client in the civil part of the case,” Ryan said.

“We want to make sure that the system is offering all defendants equitable services.”

Under the current law, public defenders are assigned to represent defendants who need free services for criminal cases.

State Rep Rick Ryan 36th Illinois House District

But, defendants are not given legal assistance for Statutory Summary Suspension (SSS) hearings, where drivers with DUIs may have their licenses revoked and suspended. House Bill 4217 would amend this to allow public defenders the choice of extending this representation.

“Many defendants can’t afford a private attorney to help with the civil portion of their case,” Ryan said. “It’s not fair that they should have to try to find that assistance when other defendants can easily afford help. The free option should at least be available for defendants who need it.”

Click here to subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania's Columns

Author
Recent Posts

Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter