A mother from Hoffman Estates finds herself entangled in a legal battle following a traffic stop that spiraled into a wrongful DUI arrest. On November 3, 2025, Sarah Ahearn filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Village of Hoffman Estates and two of its police officers, Anne Marie Witt and Brian O’Shea. The lawsuit accuses them of false arrest, illegal search and seizure, and malicious prosecution.
The incident unfolded on September 18, 2024, when Ahearn was stopped by Officer Witt for not making a complete stop at an intersection. Although Ahearn acknowledged the minor traffic violation, she soon found herself subjected to intense scrutiny due to her emotional state. Her distress was compounded by the recent suicide of her sister, which she shared with Officer Witt during the stop. Despite this context, Witt escalated the situation by questioning Ahearn about drug use and refusing her request for a breathalyzer test to prove sobriety.
As tensions rose, Officer O’Shea arrived on the scene but failed to intervene despite acknowledging Ahearn’s emotional turmoil. Instead, he allowed Witt to proceed with field sobriety tests that yielded no evidence of impairment. Nevertheless, Witt arrested Ahearn for DUI without probable cause or legal justification.
Ahearn was taken to a hospital under duress for blood and urine tests after being threatened with license suspension if she refused. The tests later confirmed no presence of alcohol or illegal drugs in her system. Despite this exonerating evidence, paperwork had already been submitted to suspend her license temporarily.
The complaint outlines several legal violations: Fourth Amendment rights regarding illegal search and seizure; Fourteenth Amendment rights concerning bodily integrity; and state law claims of malicious prosecution against both officers and their employer, the Village of Hoffman Estates. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress and financial losses incurred from hiring legal representation. Additionally, it demands punitive damages against Officers Witt and O’Shea for their reckless conduct.
Representing Sarah Ahearn are attorneys Richard Dvorak and Liza Vasilyeva from Dvorak Law Offices LLC. The case is presided over by Judge [Name] under Case ID 1:25-cv-13470.
Source: 125cv13470_Sarah_Aheran_v_Village_of_Hoffman_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
