There are certain mandatory sentencing requirements if a person is found guilty or pleads guilty to Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs (DUI) in Illinois. One mandatory sentencing requirement is to attend a Victim Impact Panel. A Victim Impact Panel is designed to help DUI offenders recognize the lasting and long-term effects of impaired driving. Ideally, attending the VIP will leave a strong and permanent impression on the subject leading to a change in behavior regarding drinking and driving. The Victim Impact Panel can help deter future DUI offenses.
Accident victims and survivors of impaired driving briefly speak at a VIP. These speakers share a personal account of the impact impaired driving has had on the person’s life. The speakers do not judge. Instead, each tells his or her personal story, offering a first-person account of the impact impaired driving has had and will continue to have on the person’s life. These personal stories are intended to impress upon the subject that choosing to drive while impaired is not a victimless crime.
The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AIMM) is an organization that is approved to provide online Victim Impact Panels following Illinois DUI guilty findings. AIMM’s main offices are in Schaumburg. AIMM VIP registration is online at its website, www.aaim1.org. AIMM charges $50.00 for a VIP. The online program is approximately one hour long. It consists of a video and a mandatory test. You must complete the video and the mandatory test in one sitting. Failure to score of 70 percent on the mandatory test will necessitate reviewing the video and retaking the test.
Similarly, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also offers an online VIP. The MADD VIP costs $75.00. The MADD VIP is longer than the AAIM VIP. You can stop and start the MADD VIP once you begin viewing. MADD VIPs can be accessed online at www.MADD.org.
Contact Steven Herzberg to defend you if you are charged with DUI in Illinois. Hopefully, you will not be found guilty or plead guilty to a DUI charge and be required to attend a Victim Impact Panel as part of a sentence for DUI.
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