7 Years In Prison For LITH Woman With 6th DUI

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A Lake in the Hills woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison after she was convicted of driving under the influence for her sixth time while driving on a revoked license.

Tammy J. Newsome, 58, of the 0-100 block of Walnut Grove Court in Lake in the Hills, was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of aggravated driving under the influence and one count of driving with a revoked license.

In April 2018, Newsome was arrested in Lake in the Hills after officers found her driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, according to court documents.

Newsome had five prior violations for driving under the influence at the time. The five prior violations were committed in Cook County, Kane County and McHenry County.

In September 2019, Newsome allegedly improperly passed an emergency vehicle near Wilmot Road and Wilmot Farms Drive in Spring Grove, court documents show.

Officers stopped Newsome’s vehicle and arrested her after learning her driver’s license was revoked due to her previous DUI cases. Newsome had six prior convictions for driving while license revoked at the time, a grand jury indictment said.

A jury trial was held last month and the jury found Newsome guilty of two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, a Class X felony.

The jury also found her guilty of driving on a revoked license, a Class 4 felony.

On Friday, McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt sentenced Newsome to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for her sixth driving under the influence conviction.

Wilbrandt also sentenced the woman to one year in prison for her seventh driving on a revoked license conviction, but that sentence will be served concurrent with her seven-year sentence.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.