{
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  "name": "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff, v. SANDRA K. SANDNESS, Defendant-Appellee (Jim Edgar, Secretary of State, Appellant)",
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  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff, v. SANDRA K. SANDNESS, Defendant-Appellee (Jim Edgar, Secretary of State, Appellant)."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "PRESIDING JUSTICE KNECHT\ndelivered the opinion of the court:\nThe Secretary of State (Secretary) appeals from a circuit court order directing the issuance of a judicial driving permit (JDP) to defendant Sandra K. Sandness. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95V2, par. 6 \u2014 206.1.) We reverse.\nDefendant was placed on court supervision for driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI) on July 6, 1984. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 95V2, pars. 11-501, 11-501.1.\nDefendant was again arrested and charged with DUI on March 17, 1989. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95x/2, par. 11 \u2014 501(a)(2).) She refused to submit to any chemical testing, whereupon the arresting officer served defendant with notice that her license and driving privileges would be immediately subject to suspension. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 951/2, par. 11 \u2014 501.1.) Defendant subsequently received separate letter notice confirming a 12-month summary suspension of her license and driving privileges.\nDefendant pleaded guilty to the DUI charge on July 20, 1989. The Sangamon County circuit court accepted her plea and sentenced defendant to court supervision for a one-year period conditioned on alcohol-abuse counseling and payment of a $500 fine.\nOn July 20, 1989, defendant filed a petition for a JDP to travel to and from counseling and work. The circuit court granted the petition and entered an order directing the issuance of a JDP to defendant. The Secretary subsequently returned the order for reassessment, indicating its determination defendant was ineligible for a JDP based on her prior DUI supervision. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95V2, par. 11\u2014 500.) Upon reassessment, the circuit court responded with an order again directing the issuance of a JDP to defendant.\nWe note defendant did not file an appellee brief on appeal. Accordingly, the standard of First Capitol Mortgage Corp. v. Talandis Construction Corp. (1976), 63 Ill. 2d 128, 345 N.E.2d 493, applies. Under this standard, the appellate court will decide the merits of an appeal where the record is simple and the issues are easy to resolve.\nOn appeal, the Secretary contends the circuit court erred in directing the issuance of a JDP to defendant because she was not a first offender within the meaning of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Code) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95V2, par. 1 \u2014 100 et seq.). We agree.\nSection 6 \u2014 206.1 of the Code states the circuit court should only issue JDPs to first offenders. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95\u00bd, par. 6 \u2014 206.1; see also People v. Pine (1989), 129 Ill. 2d 88, 97, 542 N.E.2d 711, 713.) A first offender is defined as follows:\n\u201cFor the purposes of interpreting Sections 6 \u2014 206.1 and 6\u2014 208.1 of this Code, \u2018first offender\u2019 shall mean any person who has not had a previous conviction or court assigned supervision for violating Section 11 \u2014 501 *** within the last 5 years.\u201d (Emphasis added.) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 95V2, par. 11 \u2014 500.)\nThe underlying purpose of this statutory scheme is to protect those who travel on Illinois highways. People v. Doyle (1987), 159 Ill. App. 3d 689, 692, 512 N.E.2d 798, 800.\nThe dispositive question here is whether defendant\u2019s subsequent DUI arrest occurred within five years of the disposition of her prior DUI arrest. (People ex rel. Edgar v. Pence (1989), 191 Ill. App. 3d 96, 99, 546 N.E.2d 1182, 1184.) This determination presents a pure question of law. As such, we may determine the correctness of the ruling below independently of the judgment by the circuit court. People ex rel. Edgar v. Curley (1989), 188 Ill. App. 3d 37, 39, 543 N.E.2d 1088, 1089.\nIn this action, the record shows defendant received court-assigned supervision for her prior DUI arrest on July 6, 1984. She was again arrested for DUI on March 17, 1989. These two events occurred within a five-year period. Thus, defendant was not eligible for a JDP as a first offender within the meaning of the Code. See People v. Kerr (1990), 196 Ill. App. 3d 207.\nThe judgment of the circuit court of Sangamon County, insofar as it granted defendant a JDP, is reversed.\nReversed.\nLUND and McCULLOUGH, JJ., concur.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "PRESIDING JUSTICE KNECHT"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Neil F. Hartigan, Attorney General, of Springfield (Robert J. Ruiz, Solicitor General, and Tanya Solov, Assistant Attorney General, of Chicago, of counsel), for appellant.",
      "No brief filed for appellee."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff, v. SANDRA K. SANDNESS, Defendant-Appellee (Jim Edgar, Secretary of State, Appellant).\nFourth District\nNo. 4\u201489\u20140768\nOpinion filed May 1, 1990.\nNeil F. Hartigan, Attorney General, of Springfield (Robert J. Ruiz, Solicitor General, and Tanya Solov, Assistant Attorney General, of Chicago, of counsel), for appellant.\nNo brief filed for appellee."
  },
  "file_name": "0486-01",
  "first_page_order": 508,
  "last_page_order": 510
}