McHenry Co. man sent to prison for 8 years on 7th DUI conviction

A McHenry County man was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to his seventh DUI, officials said.

Michael R. Miller, 49, of the 6100 block of Country Lane, Union, admitted guilt to aggravated driving under the influence and sentenced under a plea deal accepted by Kane County Associate Judge Patricia P. Golden.

Authorities said Miller previously was convicted of DUI six times between 1983 and 1996 in Cook, Kane and McHenry counties. He was charged a seventh time on March 30, 2008, after Elgin police responded to an erratic-driving complaint and witnessed his 1995 Pontiac Transport minivan swerve in and out of traffic near Kimball and Spring streets.

Because of prior convictions, Miller was charged with a Class X felony and faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted at trial. By law, he must serve at least half of the eight-year sentence, with credit for two days already served.

Miller also must pay a $5,000 fine because of prior convictions and also because his blood-alcohol concentration exceeded 0.160, twice the legal limit for driving in Illinois.

Defense attorney Liam Dixon said Miller has an alcohol problem but had not been arrested on charges of a DUI in the 13 years preceding his most recent arrest.

"He had some medical issues that came up in the last few years, and my guess is that caused a relapse," Dixon said.

Prosecutors Adam Katz and Deborah Lang credited the citizen who reported Miller's erratic driving for a successful prosecution.

"Hopefully today's conviction and sentence not only is a deterrent to those who would drink and drive but also acts as motivation to anyone who witnesses erratic driving to call 911," the assistant state's attorneys said in a joint statement.