Michigan Information on Substance Abuse and Driving
- Ann Arbor
- Battle Creek
- Bay City
- Gower Law Firm:
If you have been charged with any type of driving violation - from the least serious to the most serious - you need expert representation. An experienced attorney can help defend, inform and guide you through the difficult and complex process of pretrial rights and procedures, such as the Michigan Datamaster test, the trial itself and the process for license restoration. We help our clients successfully negotiate the criminal justice system and provide outstanding representation in all facets of the law.
The fact that criminal issues are supposed to be resolved quickly can sometimes work against you. If you delay in choosing your counsel, deadlines may come and go and decisions may be made for you as a result of your inattention.
- Big Rapids
- Bingham Farms
- Kallabat & Associates:
Drunk driving charges are serious. They are viewed much more seriously today than they once were, and the courts in Michigan have become more rigid in punishment. As in all criminal matters, your best defense against DUI charges is having an experienced criminal defense lawyer by your side.
- Timothy Ash:
Even a first time DUI / drunk driving arrest in Michigan can have
devastating effects, resulting in the suspension or revocation of your
license as well as substantial financial penalties, increased insurance
rates and even jail time. Simply being arrested for drunk driving,
however, does not mean you are guilty.
- Birmngham
- Bloomfield Hills
- Brighton
- Gardella, Robert:
You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.
- Regnier & Associates:
People charged with DUI / OWI have a variety of questions and concerns. What will happen to my license? How will this affect my job or employment status? Will I go to jail? How much will the fines be?
- Carleton
- Kershaw Legal Services:
Choosing an attorney can be a difficult process. Often, the decision to hire an attorney is the result of stressful situations: divorce or separation, physical or emotional injury resulting from an accident, being charged with a crime, end-of-life decision-making, or beginning a small business.
- Cedar Springs
- Patrick
Strong: If you or someone you love has been charged with drunk driving
(OWI / DUI / DWI), a qualified attorney can make the difference between
jail time and freedom. A drunk driving conviction can have a
devastating impact, including jail time, high fines, probation, loss of
drivers license, high insurance rates, among other things.
- Center Line
- Salvatore
Palombo: A judgment is a declaration by a trial court that shows
whether a defendant has been convicted or acquitted of a criminal
offense. The judgment must be in writing and must be signed by the
trial court. The judgment is only evidence of the defendant's
conviction. It is not the defendant's conviction. The defendant is
convicted when the trial court pronounces the defendant's sentence. An
appeal of the defendant's conviction cannot be filed until the judgment
has been entered on the record.
- Clarkson
- Larence
Kozma: If the government, whether State or Federal, is charging you
with a crime, you need experienced, competent, and aggressive
representation. You need anattorneythat understands criminal law from
every approach. A criminal conviction can have severe and long-lasting
consequences. If you are charged with a traffic offense, including
drunk driving, you could be facing large fines, court costs, loss of
your drivers license, forfeiture of your vehicle, court-ordered alcohol
treatment, lengthy probation, future legal ramifications, and even jail
time. If you are facing a serious misdemeanor or a felony, a conviction
could result in long terms of incarceration in jail or prison, and loss
of certain civil rights. You do not have to face the prosecution alone.
- Clinton Township
- Coldwater
- Rhonda Ives: Know your legal rights!
- Davison
- Rex C. Anderson:
Being convicted of a crime can carry a lasting social stigma as well as
serious legal consequences. In some states, the laws governing crimes
have become more rigid, and the punishment for a conviction can often
be quite severe. Because of this, it is extremely important that you
entrust your case to an attorney with a strong history of winning
criminal cases. Doing so is the best way to keep yourself out of jail,
or even prison.
- Dearborn
- Detroit
- East Lansing
- Eastpointe
- Rock & Vernier:
If you have been charged with a crime, you need a lawyer who will work hard for your rights.
- JA Hlywa:
What is OWI? OWI means "operating while intoxicated" and refers to the
crime of drunk driving. This crime usually includes driving while
abusing drugs and the operation of other kinds of motorized vehicles,
such as boats. Drunk driving is defined by each state's criminal code.
- Farmington Hills-Dearborn Heights
- Fenton
- Shelton Legal:
...most of the time, criminal defense attorneys—myself included—lose their cases. It’s not that we do a bad job, or that we “throw” cases when we know our clients are guilty. On the contrary, it’s because, on the whole, police and prosecutors do their jobs well. Most of the time, they get the right guy. They obtain enough evidence to convict. And they do it legally. When that happens, there’s not much any criminal defense attorney can do. And that’s the way it should be.
- Flint
- Fowlerville
- Gormley and Johnson:
Too many people think that if they have been charged with a crime—particularly if it’s drunk driving—they have no options. That is simply not true. The prosecutor’s office may not have the evidence to back up their claims—and a thorough, prepared defense attorney can make that clear to a judge or jury. A case may be made for reduced charges or alternative sentencing options.
It is essential to talk to an attorney as soon as possible after you have been charged—especially with a Michigan drunk-driving charge. You face the possible loss of your driver's license.
- Gran Blanc
- Charles Riley:
If you are facing fines, jail time, or the loss or suspension of your
driver's license, you need a criminal defense lawyer who is familiar
with Michigans statutes regarding misdemeanor crimes related to traffic
offenses, drunk driving and the possession of controlled substances
such a marijuana.
- Grand Rapids
- Grandville
- SMIETANKA & BUCKLEITNER:
... tart with our Constitution and its Bill of Rights, and then travel
the streets and fields of our magnificent and contradictory country,
reading it and rereading it along the way.
- Grosse Pointe Park
- Tim Dinan:
OUIL/DUL Offenses Michigan's drunk driving laws are some of the
toughest in the nation now. Whether it is your first offense or a
subsequent offense, the best way to protect your rights is by bringing
in a lawyer with the training and knowledge to guide you through the
system.
- Theodore Bratton: Drunk
driving has become a serious criminal charge with draconian penalties.
If you get arrested, immediately consult with and/or retain an attorney
with expertise in this area of the law -- the sooner the better. Ted
Bratton has extensive experience in, and keeps up to date with, the
ever-changing science and law necessary to effectively represent people
accused of this crime.
- Hartland
- Dern, Doug:
25%
of the drunk driving convictions are actually innocent. It seems that
if you get arrested for drunk driving, you are guilty until proven
innocent. Breathalyzer machines are wrong 50% of the time. I hope no
one ever needs me. But if you do, and you want the State to prove their
case my mission is to provide affordable legal defense.
Drunk
Driving is serious business. If you get a first offense misdemeanor
drunk driving many times the punishment will be worse then a first time
felon. You would not go to a corporate lawyer for a divorce. Don't go
to a criminal lawyer or a family lawyer for a drunk driving. Drunk
driving defense work is a special area of the law that requires more
then a general knowledge.
There
are often things that go wrong in chemical testing. It could be you
were at the bar and had only a couple of drinks and you honestly
thought you were sober. As you drive home a cop stops you and arrests
you. If you have food in your teeth, or a small cut in your mouth, or
you are a smoker, or you burped before a breath test all these things
will give the illusion that you are drunk, when in fact, you were
sober. A lot of lawyers, who don't specialize in drunk driving, will
have you plead guilty. And once you have a drunk driving on your record
your insurance is raised, society frowns on you and quite frankly you
are treated like a common criminal.
If have been arrested for OWI or OUIL, or DWVI you should seek the advice of an attorney immediately. There could be serious consequences even for fist time offenders. Once you have a drunk driving offense on your record it never goes off. If you get three (3) within a lifetime it is a felony drunk driving. Even a first offense involves license suspension, heavy fines, and possibly jail. A second offense is mandatory jail time and a lifetime license suspension. A third offense is a 1 to 5 year prison felony. Do not take a drunk driving charge lightly. It is a crime. A crime that you could pay high insurance rates for a very long time.
SOS - The new definition of drunk driving in Michigan .08 -- Lower Limit. Tougher Law.
Are there defenses? Yes.
Just because you have been charged with a drunk driving doesn't mean you are guilty. It only means that the police officer had probable cause for an arrest. The Attorney for the State of Michigan must prove every allegation & element of the crime.
There are a number of defenses in a drunk driving case, not every case is an automatic guilty, a keen aggressive attorney will do a full investigation to discover every possible angle.
Defenses to drunk driving include:
Improper stop— The Police must have a reason to stop you. Have you ever been driving down the road late at night only to be stopped by a police officer. He walks up to the window and ask you if you been drinking? You say no and he checks you out to find out you have not been drinking and let you go??? This is illegal. Under the law there is what is called a Terry stop. For the police to stop you there must be a reasonable articulate suspension that criminal activity is afoot. A police officer can not just stop you just because he thinks you are drinking. But, often as the case is you are stopped for driving at night. This eventually leads to a drunk driving arrest.
Improper arrest— The police may have done something illegal during the arrest. The Police must have a probable cause for the arrest. Often times there is not enough evidence to arrest you, but they arrest you anyway so they can get you down to the police station and give you a Data master or a blood draw. If the arrest is not proper then your case could get dismissed. Improper handling of chemical testing. Administrative rules govern how police officers take breath and blood samples. For instance, testing instruments must be properly maintained and calibrated. If the police did not follow these statutes and administrative rules, the test results can sometimes be thrown out. This strategy is unlikely to lead to a dismissal. However, it often improves a defendant's chances for victory at trial.
Improper procedure— Anything from administrative mistakes to dirty police work, to bad blood work to faulty Data Master the possibilities are endless. You are not guilty. Sometimes the police make a mistake and arrest an innocent person. About 10% of people arrested for OWI are actually innocent.
The defenses on a drunk driving case are endless. It takes a aggressive attorney to look under every stone.
- Hastings
- McPhillips & McDowell:
Don't Lose Your License Because of a Drunk Driving Arrest If you have
been arrested in Michigan for a DWI/DUI your right to drive may be at
stake. Additionally, a drunk driving arrest can lead to fines or even
jail time. It is important to retain the services of a criminal law
defense attorney as soon as possible.
- Holland
-
how can an attorney defend a guilty person? Legally, that doesn’t normally happen, because the person is not guilty because of the presumption of innocence that prevents him or her from being adjudged guilty unless a plea or verdict overcomes that presumption. If there is not enough evidence to support a conviction, then how can someone say that a person obviously is guilty? If the accused was so obviously guilty, why was there was not enough evidence to convict? Is guilt to be determined by what a policeman thought, or what someone who read the paper thinks, or is it to be determined by a system with reasonable safeguards developed over several centuries to determine the facts?
If you prefer guilt based on what the policeman thinks or what you 'know' by having read the paper, then you might hope that you never get into a situation where you did not commit a crime, but you are judged guilty by the policeman or newspaper reporter based upon what they think they know.
- Hopkins
- Howell
- Fiani, Jules:
The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.
- Jackson
- Jenison
- Timothy Trichler:
Why is going to trial so expensive? The primary reason is it is very
time consuming for the attorney to properly prepare. Preparation for
trial costs much more than conducting the trial itself. Good trial
preparation is difficult and tedious work. Television glorifies the
actual trial. The truth is that most trials are won or lost on the
quality of the preparation.
- Kalamazoo
- Vander Horst:
A drunk driving charge or arrest can land you in jail, force you to pay excessive fines, or cause you to lose your license or, even, your job. A charge on your record will have a severely negative impact on your life and your future. Any charge requires the legal representation of an experienced DWI attorney to prevent unnecessary negative consequences.
- Redmond & Redmond:
If you are facing your first Drunk Driving conviction your license will be suspended for 180 days. After the first 30 days of the suspension you may be eligible for a restricted driver•s license that will allow you to drive to and from work and school. If you are convicted of the less serious Impaired Driving charge your license will be suspended for 90 days and you may be eligible for a restricted driver•s license immediately.
However, if you have two alcohol related driving convictions within 7 years, your license will be revoked for a minimum of 12 months and during that time you will have no driving privileges.
- Tibble Law Office: An experienced attorney can help advise you of your rights if you have been charged with a crime.
- Keego Harbor
- Amberg & Amberg:
If you have been arrested and charged for drunk driving, don't panic and contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
- Thomas McGinnis:
In a criminal proceeding each side has the opportunity to present an
opening statement to the judge or jury. The prosecution presents its
opening statement first and then the defendant presents his or her
opening statement. In some states, the trial judge permits the
defendant to defer giving his opening statement until the close of the
prosecution's case. If there are multiple defendants being tried in one
case, each attorney may give an opening statement for each defendant.
- Lake Orion
- Lakeside
- William Stevens: Often evidence of your bodily alcohol level or alleged impairment is derived from an improper stop.
- Lansing
- Lapeer
- Livonia
- Ludington
- Madison Heights
- Jack Jaffe:
If youve been arrested and charged with a crime, you need immediate
legal representation from an experienced and aggressive defense
attorney committed to protecting your rights under the law. Conviction
on drunk driving charges can result in fines, jail time, increased
insurance rates, loss of insurance, and suspension or revocation of
your drivers license.
- Midland
- Monroe
- Apex Legal Group:
Without an attorney, you may end up facing more severe financial costs into the future. Your insurance premiums will increase and you may face fees, fines, and the loss of license if you are charged with a serious driving offense. When facing traffic violation charges, understand that the consequences can be severe. Without an experienced attorney you may risk penalties such as fines, loss of license, even jail time.
- Christina Hills:
DUI charges and other criminal offenses should be defended by an attorney who is skilled at negotiating with prosecutors and adept at arguing the case in front of a jury.
- Mt. Clemens
- Mt. Pleasant
- Muskegan
- Northville
- Langshied, Mark:
An attorney may be able to negotiate a favorable plea that avoids or reduce points and is not reported to the Secretary of State. This can help avoid insurance rate hikes. If this is not possible, a formal hearing can be held which is similar to a trial. Your attorney can ask you questions to establish your case, cross-examine the police officer, and argue on your behalf. The judge will then determine whether you are responsible for the ticket.
- Novi
- Okemos
- Baird & Zulakis:
From large fines to license suspension, the consequences of a DUI/DWI charge can be high. An experienced lawyer can stand by your side to defend against these charges.
- Mark O'Briant:
Have you been arrested for DUI or driving while under the influence of illegal drugs? Act immediately in order to possibly:
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