Illinois State Police trooper pleads guilty to on-duty DUI

An Illinois State Police trooper pleaded guilty Monday to being intoxicated while on duty last year in Kane County.

Trooper Paul A. Zurn pleaded guilty Monday to one misdemeanor count of DUI and was sentenced to one year of court supervision, according to a statement from the Kane County state’s attorney’s office. According to Illinois law, first-time misdemeanor DUI offenders are eligible for supervision.

On Aug. 22, 2015, Zurn responded to a minor traffic crash call on westbound Interstate 88 near Farnsworth Avenue on the afternoon of Aug. 22, 2015, prosecutors said.

When he arrived at the scene other troopers noticed Zurn, 34, was unsteady on his feet and found a bottle of alcohol inside his squad car, prosecutors said.

Zurn refused to submit a portable breath test, standardized sobriety tests and refused to take a breathalyzer test, according to the statement. As a result his driver’s license was suspended for one year by the Illinois Secretary of State.

Zurn, who has been an ISP member since 2008, was relieved of his police powers after the incident and immediately placed on a restricted duty status, according to a statement from ISP. On October 26, he was placed on unpaid administrative leave where he will remain while the internal investigation takes place.

“ISP Troopers are entrusted to uphold the law, and as such, must be held to the highest standards of personal conduct on and off duty,” ISP Director Leo Schmitz said in the statement.

In addition to his sentence, Zurn must undergo alcohol treatment, pay $2,185 in fines and attend a victim impact panel.

“The actions of a single officer do not reflect on the outstanding, selfless work by the men and women of the ISP who risk their lives daily to protect the motoring public,” Schmitz said.