A suspended or revoked license can be extremely hard to deal with, and many people are tempted to just drive anyway; after all, the state only takes your license, not your car.  However, there are potentially serious consequences if you are caught driving on a suspended or revoked license.  You can be charged with a misdemeanor or felony based on the circumstances.

Generally, a first offense would lead you to be charged with a Class A misdemeanor.  In Illinois, Class A misdemeanors can lead to fines of up to $2500 and up to a year in jail.  In more serious circumstances or for repeat offenders, you may be charged with a felony.  These include situations where your license was revoked due to a reckless homicide or where you have been charged with driving on a suspended license multiple times.  Felonies in Illinois are graded from the lowest, Class 4, to the highest, Class 1.  A first conviction for felonious driving on a suspended license would usually be a Class 4 felony, which can result in jail time or probation between one and three years.  A second conviction would give you a Class 2 felony, which can be between three and seven years.  A third could leave you with a Class 1 felony, which could leave you looking at seven to fifteen years in prison or probation.

To prevent these horrible things from happening to you and as with anytime you are facing legal issues, it's best to not approach this alone.  A good lawyer will be able to help you navigate the criminal justice system much better then you could on your own.  If you have been charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license, don't wait, call the Criminal Law team at John W. Callahan, Ltd. today.