Drivers with invalid licenses get stung in Park City

Stephanie Jackson of Waukegan made her scheduled court appearance Thursday for driving without a valid license, then her legal problems quickly multiplied.

As she left the Lake County Branch Courthouse in Park City, Jackson was pulled over and arrested for the same reason she attended court that morning.

She was one of nine drivers nabbed as part of a Lake County Sheriff's office sting aimed at catching people driving on a revoked or suspended license.

Undercover officers in the courtroom radioed to deputies in the parking lot to watch for people who were leaving after having their driver's license revoked or suspended. If the defendant got in a vehicle and drove away, officers radioed squad cars, and vehicle stops and arrests were made.

The sting was coordinated with judges so they were aware of the operation.

"They will make it a point when they have a case - they will say 'You are revoked, you are not to drive,'" said Sgt. Chris Thompson, the sheriff's office spokesman.

Those arrested were taken to a transport vehicle behind Sundance Saloon, 300 Lakehurst Road, Waukegan. Their vehicles were driven to the same location and towed.

Sheriff Mark Curran said the sting was designed to ensure cooperation with valid license laws and keep the roads safe.

"I'd rather have more and more of these people in the jail despite the overcrowding issue," Curran said.

The results were successful enough, he said, that officials will do it again soon, although it requires a lot of labor and coordination.

As for Jackson, she had recently moved here from Iowa and never obtained a valid Illinois driver's license. When Curran pulled her over at Frontage Road and Washington Street in Waukegan, she said she did not have a license on her and produced a state ID.

When it was confirmed Jackson did not have a valid driver's license, Curran told her he would have to arrest her.

"She asked if there was any way out and I told her no," he said.

With watery eyes and a frown on her face, Jackson got in the back of the squad car and an intern drove her Nissan Altima back to the Sundance Saloon to be towed.

"The bottom line is that she doesn't have a valid license and she shouldn't be driving," Curran said.