Lake in the Hills woman arrested 3 times in a month for DUI pleads guilty, faces prison
A 34-year-old Lake in the Hills woman arrested three times in July 2013 on felony DUI charges pleaded guilty to one of the DUIs Thursday just as her bench trial was to begin.
Tiara M. Norris, of the 800 block of Peachtree Court, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 1 if prosecutors can prove she's had five overall DUI convictions.
Norris on Thursday pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI, a felony, and driving while her license was suspended.
Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Bradley Melzer said a homeowner on Win Haven Drive in Elgin told authorities a vehicle drove over the homeowner's lawn at 11 p.m. July 29, 2013, and Norris exited the vehicle and tried to get into the house through the front door.
A blood draw from Norris at a hospital showed her blood alcohol concentration to be .276, Melzer said. The legal threshold in Illinois is .08.
At the September sentencing, Judge David Kliment will determine if Norris' plea equates to five overall DUI convictions and arrests. If Kliment concludes Norris has five DUI arrests, she faces a punishment of four to 15 years in prison. If Kliment finds she had four DUI arrests, she faces a prison term of three to seven years.
"There's been no agreement in the case as to what the sentence will be," Kliment said.
Prosecutors will present evidence of aggravation, such as Norris' previous DUI convictions, while defense attorney Glenn Jazwiec will present mitigating factors, such as if Norris has sought alcohol treatment.
Melzer told Kliment that Norris has two previous DUI convictions, as well as two other pending DUI cases.
According to Kane County court records, Norris was arrested July 10 and July 23, 2013, in Gilberts on felony DUI charges. In the first case, a breath test registered a .32 BAC; in the second, authorities found Norris' vehicle in a ditch at 6:30 a.m.
Norris was arrested on DUI charges in August 2012 in Lake in the Hills and eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, records show. Information about her other DUI convictions was not immediately available.