Lockport city attorney charged with DUI

Attorney plans to challenge driver’s license suspension

Sonni Williams

The city attorney for Lockport was arrested last month in Romeoville on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, and she plans to challenge the suspension of her driver’s license next week.

On Feb. 16, Sonni Williams, 54, of Lockport was arrested and issued a citation for DUI, according to court records filed in Williams’ case.

The DUI citation alleged the offense took place in the 1200 block of North Lakeview Drive in Romeoville.

Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Peter Wilkes motioned for a special prosecutor on behalf of State’s Attorney James Glasgow. Wilkes’ motion asked a judge to appoint a special prosecutor to “avoid any appearance of impropriety.”

On Tuesday, Will County Chief Judge Dan Kennedy allowed for the appointment of a special prosecutor from the Illinois Office of the State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor, according to court records.

Lockport City Administrator Ben Benson said he was aware of the incident but he declined to comment further because it is a personnel matter.

A court hearing is set for next Tuesday on the statuary summary suspension of Williams’ driver’s license, which is scheduled to take effect on April 2. The suspension would last for a year.

Williams was issued a statuary summary suspension of her driver’s license after she refused to submit to or failed to complete chemical testing, according to a report from a Romeoville police officer that was filed in Williams’ DUI case.

The officer’s report alleged there was a “citizens report of erratic driving.” The officer alleged smelling an “odor of alcohol, beverage coming from breath” and observing “bloodshot/glassy eyes, thick and slurred speech,” according to the report.

Williams’ attorney, Chuck Bretz, has petitioned to rescind the statutory summary suspension of his client’s license.

Bretz’s petition alleged the officer did not have reasonable grounds or probable cause to believe Williams was driving under the influence of alcohol and she was not properly given a motorist warning from the officer.

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