The month of December is one of the busiest for many people. The holiday season usually means get-togethers and parties with family and friends. If you are a professional, there are often many festive business gatherings scheduled during this time that not only gives you the chance to socialize with business colleagues but can also be significant networking opportunities.
Many of these social events, whether personal or professional, involve the serving of alcohol. Having a couple of drinks at a holiday party may seem innocuous enough – until you are driving home and suddenly see the blue lights flashing behind your vehicle, signaling you to pull over. Not only can a drunk driving conviction affect your right to drive, but it can also affect your ability to practice your profession. Drunk driving is considered a crime of moral turpitude and under Illinois law, professional license holders face professional license suspension if convicted of one of these crimes.
What Are Crimes of Moral Turpitude?
While the law is very specific on the penalties of what will happen to an individual if they are arrested or convicted of a crime of moral turpitude, it is not specific on what exactly the definition of one is. Generally, the courts have held that a crime of moral turpitude is one that is contrary to the morality and norms of society, that goes against the duty that is owed to others, that is vile and offensive, and that shock a reasonable person. A crime of moral turpitude is one that puts an individual’s judgment, morals, character, and ethics in question.
Generally, a professional license holder will only face action against their professional license for felony convictions, but if they have been charged with a misdemeanor for a crime of moral turpitude, the state of Illinois could suspend or revoke their professional license.
Examples of crimes of moral turpitude include
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Assault
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Certain white-collar crimes
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Child abuse
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Domestic violence
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Driving under the influence
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Drug crimes
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Sexual offenses
Contact an Illinois License Defense Lawyer
In Illinois, any professional license holder who has been arrested for a crime of moral turpitude is required to report the arrest to the board that oversees their license. It is critical to report the arrest to the board right away and not wait to see if the charges will be dropped. Self-reporting – and not having the board find out from a third party – will help when it comes to defending your professional license.
If you find yourself in an unfortunate legal situation that could affect your ability to practice in your profession, do not delay in contacting Williams & Nickl, LLC at 312-335-9470 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our skilled Chicago professional license attorneys.
Sources:
https://idfpr.illinois.gov/
https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-f-chapter-5#footnote-3
