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Posted on 05/25/2026 8:19:05 AM PDT by Libloather
A judge declared Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele not guilty of driving under the influence late Tuesday morning.
While Cook County prosecutors established a “suspicion” of impairment, Judge Donald Suriano said they failed to definitively prove Steele was under the influence of alcohol when she crashed a friend’s car into two parked vehicles along Ashland Avenue in November 2024.
Steele refused a field sobriety test and a blood draw that night, and did not show “obvious signs of impairment,” Suriano said, noting the bottle of wine in her front passenger seat was corked and sealed within a bag. “The burden has not been met,” he concluded, declaring her not guilty.
Prosecutors had argued she exhibited slurred speech, could not keep her head up, swayed while standing and smelled of alcohol. She was also “extraordinarily disrespectful” to the officers that responded to the crash, a sign of impaired judgment.
But her defense attorney, John Fotopoulos, said the state’s seven witnesses could not keep their stories straight, and disagreed about the scent of alcohol.
While “not pretty,” her refusal to be tested was well within her constitutional rights, and Steele complied with other orders to present her license and exit the car, Fotopoulos said. Her emergency room doctor also reported Steele was alert, oriented and able to walk without a problem.
Steele did not testify. After the verdict, she said in a statement that she was “pleased that justice prevailed today and the court defended the constitution. I look forward to finishing the rest of my term in Cook county rooted in transparency, efficiency, and fairness.”
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
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Democrat privilege.
“A judge declared Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele not guilty”
Oh yes she is....Just not how the judge means.
Now tell me we don’t have a two-tiered legal system...................
I take comfort in the fact that the government would treat me exactly the same way in similar circumstances.
Wouldn’t they?
Sure. Nuttin to worry about- just refuse to get out of car, take sobriety tests and call your lawyer and tell them to really take their time getting there- judges love us common peeps that do these things I guess- (Wear a “Biden is awesome’ shirt to court- that should seal the deal in the judge’s eyes... then throw the shirt away like it has the pox after he lets your go free-)
I think they deserve each other.
Crook County
She probably didn’t want a jury trial.
DUI arrest
In November 2024, Steele was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Chicago.[31][32][33][34] According to police reports, Steele allegedly made derogatory comments to the arresting officers, including repeatedly asking one officer, “Is your penis that small?”[8][35][36][37] A subsequent WBEZ story reported a 911 caller said the driver tried to leave the scene of the crash; the caller also said the driver appeared intoxicated.[38] The incident led to calls for her resignation from some political figures.[39] The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board also called for her resignation.[40]
Steele’s driver’s license was initially suspended but was reinstated in December 2024 following a court hearing.[41][42][43][44][45]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Steele_(politician)
Zackly.
“Steele allegedly made derogatory comments to the arresting officers”
The fix was in.
Here’s hoping both she and the judge are each hit by a drunk driver in the near future.
Judge was rat friendly.
she knew she would walk.
she knew she would walk.
Well she can still drive.
True true
She will eventually kill someone with her car. Probably herself too after she walks free from other crashes a couple more times.
I wonder how many DUIs that go to trial are not guilty…?
I remember that one. I wouldn’t have been so nice.
No can do.
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