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'No Refusal' DUI patrol on tap in Kane County for St. Patrick's Day

The Kane County state's attorney's office will work with local law enforcement agencies for a "No Refusal" DUI patrol Thursday, the sixth operation held on or near St. Patrick's Day.

The previous "No Refusal" events held in conjunction with St. Patrick's Day resulted in 40 DUI arrests.

"Unfortunately, St. Patrick's Day tends to be a day of the year where we have quite a few DUIs during these 'No Refusal' events," State's Attorney Joe McMahon said, adding the goal is to have zero DUI arrests because that means people are changing their behavior to be safer. "We want to give people notice, We want to give them the opportunity to make other travel arrangements."

A "No Refusal" is different from a roadside safety checkpoint at which police pull over selected vehicles into a parking lot or shoulder to check for equipment violations, insurance or impaired drivers.

In "No Refusal" prosecutors fan out across the county to work with local police departments to prepare a search warrant for drivers arrested on charges of DUI who refuse to take a breath or chemical test.

The search warrant is taken to a judge for approval for a phlebotomist to take a blood sample. If the arrestee still refuses, a sample can be forcibly taken or the motorist charged with felony obstruction of justice, which is more severe that the DUI charge.

The 19 previous "No Refusal" events held in Kane resulted in 131 DUI arrests.

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McMahon: 'No Refusal' helps secure additional DUI evidence

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