According to the law, there are several levels of DUI's in the state of Illinois, and the sentencing varies greatly from charge to charge. Depending on your judge and prosecutor, you may not ever even be charged, or you could be charged as harshly as the law allows. Making sure you have a good team on your side, protecting your interests, is the best way to guarantee that you and your case aren't used as an example for other drivers and that you are treated fairly.
DUI First Offense: up to five years in jail, and up to a $2500 fine
DUI Second Offense: a minimum of 5 days in jail, or 240 hours of community service
DUI Third/Fourth Offense: class two felonies, 3-7 years in prison, and a fine of $25,000, as well as being charged with aggravated driving on top of your DUI
DUI Fifth offense: a class 1 felony, $25,000 in fees, and between 4-7 years in prison.
Regardless of this, many first time offenders only spend a single night behind bars and end up receiving sentencing tailored to their case. While some might receive jail time, many defendants are instead sent to addiction rehabs or AA meetings, required to take alcohol education courses, assigned community service, among other options. This is where having good legal advice from an experienced law firm comes in: an experienced attorney knows how to ensure their clients receive the best possible and least invasive sentencing possible.