09/16/2026
9.14.26 - Dekalb County, Illinois.
The State Attorney here supposedly has a policy of never reducing a moving violation for a CDL holder in plea agreements.
For a CDL holder, a guilty plea to a moving violation can have severe consequences, from loss of employment to lengthy suspensions of their license. It’s not like they can drive on a regular license either, you either have a CDL or you don’t.
My client trusted me when other attorneys told him to take a plea, given the nature of the collision. He never wanted to take a deal, he knew the state was overreaching because the complaining witness was unsavory and had a financial interest in the verdict. The “victim” drove away in their car that day, but somehow ended up with “severe injuries” back in Virginia, and sued my client for thousands of dollars in civil court. That remains pending.
Needless to say, a lot was riding on this trial.
I’m so grateful to my Gerry Spence Method training for helping me set the scene and get my client’s story out in opening. We also took the “victim” through their story, softly, calmly, few questions, until we made him feel it was okay to admit his wife got a settlement check, and he was still suing. The state had 3 attorneys at the table. It was just me, my client, and my paralegal.
The officer was holding his story line too. In his precessional opinion, my client was guilty of causing the accident. The officer did as expected, and my cross landed exactly how it was intended to land: by showing that in all the mountains of evidence he collected, he never once determined the rate of speed of either vehicle. The statute itself has an element of speed. The state heavily tried to argue that the damage “inferred” a high rate of speed.
The state charged my CDL holder client with serious moving violations. They laughed at my request for an amended charge. The pretrial motions all went in the state’s favor. I was asked by the court if I was “really” trying this case. Yes Your Honor, really really.
*NOT GUILTY* on all counts. We packed up our materials, walked in silence until we got outside, then high-fived and hugged. This was a celebration he truly deserved, and a win for the justice system.
💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
With love,
Gloria V. Rodriguez, Esq.
The Gloria Law Group
Trial Lawyer
Published with consent of client.
