New Trier High School student Erin Hughes, who was arrested after accidentally striking and severely injuring 16-year-old Sarah Goone on May 14, has just been charged with two misdemeanor DUI charges, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
She wasn't drinking before the daytime incident but admitted to police that she had smoked marijuana the night before. Her blood was drawn after her arrest and Cook County prosecutors said on Monday that her blood showed traces of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
But if her Chicago DUI lawyer understands the key differences between alcohol and marijuana, primarily the time it takes for the body to process the substances, he or she may be able to put up a strong defense.
Her attorney, Barry Spector, didn't comment on the new charges but sounded confident:
"Whatever it is, she's going to deal with it. She's more concerned about the other girl getting better."
Unlike alcohol, which quickly metabolizes and is flushed out of the system within hours after ingestion, traces of marijuana can remain in the body for at least three days or up to 45 days for heavy users, according to Helium.com.
But that doesn't mean the user is under the influence of marijuana for several days after it's smoked. It just gets stored in the fat tissue for a long time before it's broken down and excreted.
Erin Hughes was driving by a store and looking for a friend when she struck Sarah Goone, panicked and drove off. The victim was treated for severe head injuries but reportedly is making positive progress at home.
Erin Hughes, who had faced a more-serious felony hit-and-run charge and could have gone to prison for a maximum of seven years, now faces a maximum sentence of three years after the more-serious charge was dropped. An anonymous donor identified only as a sympathetic mother paid the $50,000 bond for her release.
If you have been charged with a DUI based on the results of a toxicology screen testing positive for marijuana, ask an Illinois DUI lawyer how you might defend against the charges.
Related Resources:
- Scientific Evidence: An Introduction (FindLaw)
- Man Calls 911 to Report Missing Marijuana, Gets DUI (FindLaw's Legally Weird Blog)
- Developing limits for Driving Under Cannabis (Wiley InterScience)
- Contact a Chicago DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
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