Noak Pleads Guilty To DUI: 'I Take Full Responsibility'

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Less than a month after his DUI arrest, Romeoville Mayor John Noak entered a guilty plea in Will County court. Noak, 44, said he received a $1,500 fine and a year's supervision, and will be required to submit to an alcohol evaluation and attend a victim impact panel.

Noak, 44, who issued a public apology — including apologizing to Romeoville's police chief and the officers who responded the day of his arrest — said he takes full responsibility for driving while impaired.

Noak told Patch he took a prescribed medication the day of his State of the Village due an abrupt health issue, but said that wasn't an excuse for what happened. "(The medication) was something I was unfamiliar with, I didn't realize it would affect my body so severely," he said. Noak said he also had not eaten anything prior to his speech.

"Being on medication, getting exhausted and not eating, then going out afterward — that was still my responsibility. That's still impaired," he said.

Noak Told Cop 'You're Done' After DUI Arrest: Report

Noak said there's no animosity between him and the officers who responded that day. "I firmly think the police officers came to my aid that day," he said. "I don't know what would have happened if they didn't."

Noak said the terms of his plea deal are due to his clean prior driving record. "From day one, I told my attorney, I intend to take full responsibility," the mayor said. "I wasn't seeking anything special."

After entering his plea, Noak issued this statement:

Today I entered into a plea agreement with the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, bringing legal proceedings regarding the April 12 incident to an end.

I take full responsibility for the incident and want to publicly apologize to my family, friends and community for what happened. I am deeply sorry, and I assure everyone that nothing like this will happen again.

I have already met with the police department to express my apologies for what happened that evening and to assure them that the entire department has my full support. Everyone involved at the police department acted appropriately during this entire situation, especially the two responding officers who performed their duties with complete professionalism.

I would also like to commend the officers for what they did that evening. The reality is that they also came to aid, and I cannot thank them enough for that. They are both incredible assets to our community.

Finally, I want to thank the hundreds of friends, family and residents that have expressed their support during this difficult time.

Everyone is human and can make mistakes, myself included. I look forward to continuing the great work we have been doing in Romeoville.

Image via Romeoville Police Department