The DUI trial of Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele kicked off Monday at the Richard J. Daley Center, pulling the curtain back on a November crash along North Ashland Avenue that has dogged her political career ever since. Over what is expected to be a two-day proceeding, jurors are seeing body-worn camera video and hearing from officers who say Steele refused field sobriety tests that night. Steele, who has pleaded not guilty, watched from the defense table as lawyers wrangled over which pieces of evidence the jury will ultimately get to see.
Judge Clears Doctor To Testify As Jurors Watch Video
Judge Donald J. Soriano rejected a defense bid to keep a physician off the witness list, opening the door for prosecutors to tie medical evidence to Steele’s conduct during and after the crash, according to the Chicago Tribune. The outlet reports that body-worn camera footage played in court shows Steele repeatedly citing her position as a county official while declining to follow officers’ instructions. Lawyers spent much of the first day sparring over whether jurors should hear that back-and-forth and other pieces of contested evidence.
What Police Say They Saw And What The Cameras Caught
At the scene, officers said Steele smelled of alcohol and seemed disoriented, and a neighbor who witnessed the crash told police he picked up the scent of booze as well, coverage from Fox 32 shows. Previously released body-cam video captured Steele saying, “I’m an elected official,” as officers urged her to get out of the vehicle, according to WBEZ. Footage shown to jurors also appears to depict officers removing a bottle of wine from the passenger-side floorboard.
Defense Leans On Medical Issues, Not Intoxication
Steele’s legal team is pushing a different story line, arguing that health problems and prescription medication, not alcohol, account for some of what viewers see on the video. Steele told NBC Chicago last year that she had been diagnosed with a pituitary tumor and that her medication can affect her peripheral vision. Defense attorneys pressed the judge to limit certain testimony as they advance that theory, but the court stopped short of throwing out medical evidence altogether during Monday’s preliminary arguments.
Crash Fallout Spills Into Politics
The arrest and the widely shared body-cam clips have loomed over Steele’s time on the Board of Review and spilled into campaign season. Local reporting and earlier Hoodline coverage documented the arrest and charges, including the story Steele Charged With DUI, while election coverage in the Chicago Sun-Times details the political blowback, including Steele’s defeat in a March primary.
Legal Stakes
Steele faces a misdemeanor DUI charge tied to the November collision, and prosecutors have signaled they will use witnesses to walk jurors through her decisions that night, according to the Chicago Tribune. A conviction could bring fines and fallout for her driver’s license, and separate proceedings over a possible license suspension already led to courtroom battles last year, as Fox 32 reported.
The judge still has to lock in the schedule for opening arguments and remaining witnesses, but the court has suggested the trial could wrap relatively quickly if things stay on track. Steele remains free while the misdemeanor case plays out and has maintained that she will fight the charge in court. Additional procedural matters are slated for later this week as jurors continue to hear testimony.
