Cook County official wins court battle to reinstate driver's license after DUI arrest

CHICAGO - Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele appeared in court Friday to contest a yearlong driver’s license suspension following a DUI arrest in November.

Steele, 45, faced a one-year license suspension after her arrest for allegedly driving under the influence.

She appeared with her attorney, John Fotopoulos, for a nearly five-hour hearing. Steele did not enter a plea but argued for the return of her license.

She was arrested in early November after allegedly hitting two cars. Police stopped her on North Ashland Avenue, where they found an open bottle of wine in her car. 

Steele refused a field sobriety test and told officers she was an elected official. She was later treated at a hospital for minor injuries. 

The incident was captured on police body camera footage.

After initially ruling in favor of the prosecution, the judge reversed the decision, citing a technicality in the officer’s paperwork, allowing Steele to have her license reinstated.

Steele will return to court in March as her DUI case continues. She serves on the Cook County Board of Review, which hears property tax appeals.

Due to a quirk in state law, she also holds a similar position on a county board in Indiana.

RELATED: Body camera videos show Cook County official's arrest for suspected DUI on North Side