I recently wrote about
Kelsey’s Law, which was signed by Governor Quinn earlier this week. The
governor also signed Patricia’s Law that same day, which is another piece of
legislation that affects Illinois drivers. Patricia’s Law specifically
eliminates the possibility of gaining court supervision when a driver is
convicted of causing a car accident those results in a death. Court supervision
is not the same as probation. If the driver stays out of trouble (no further
tickets or arrests) during the supervision period, then the there is no
conviction on the driver’s record.
According to CBS
Chicago, the
law was named after Patricia McNamara, a Rockford woman killed in a crash
caused by a distracted driver who was given a fine and court supervision in the
case. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White did not believe that Court
supervision was enough when someone is charged with a traffic fatality. “Court supervision is a way by which you get your license back,
and you pay a fine. You may have to do some community service, and I just think
that’s the wrong way to approach how we deal with individuals who have killed
someone on our roads,” he said.
The
new law went into effect this week when it was signed by Governor Quinn.
If
you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or
Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant
for a free legal consultation at 312-588-3384.