Law won't work if it's not enforced

Regarding the article on Dec 26th regarding tougher DUI laws going into effect, these laws only affect counties outside of Cook for the most part. First-time offenders convicted will have 14 days to install an ignition interlock device on their car. As many as 40,000 offenders a year could be affected. That will be more like 40 in Cook.

A conviction is nearly unheard of in Cook County since lawyers plea most every DUI to a simple reckless driving, avoiding problems for a motorist and accountability that comes to the States Attorney's and the Secretary of State's offices with a DUI conviction.

If you hire an attorney you are paying a good bit of money right off for that. You pay a fine and some form of supervision after taking alcohol awareness classes, and off you go. No DUI conviction, no ignition interlock.

I don't believe this is as rampant in other counties. In Cook, it is Standard Operating Procedure.

It has been pointed out that the new penalties for skirting these laws are serious business, but then, that is what they say every time they come out with new laws.

If our laws currently on the books were enforced as intended when passed then we would have far fewer narrow focus laws and something closer to justice in court.

The cynic in me wonders who will make money off selling the devices and installing them, but that is the subject for a separate letter.

Bob Ritchey

Lombard