Jackson Drunk Driving Lawyers
- Hurst, Dennis:
Negligent Homicide, Murder, Manslaughter, and Drug Offenses. Assault and Battery, Larceny, Domestic
Violence, Disorderly Conduct, Forgery, and OUIL/drunk driving cases. The
firm also handles a wide of range of Traffic Violation cases, and
frequently represents commercial truck drivers in cases involving
vehicle violations.
- Brandt & Dehncke:
The best advice any criminal defense attorney can provide to their client is that, at no time should they ever undertake an interview with law enforcement officials without the presence of counsel.
Criminal
procedure in the State of Michigan usually is initiated by the arrest
of a defendant. If that defendant is arrested on a felony charge, they
are to be immediately brought before a District Court Judge or
Magistrate for an arraignment. At this arraignment, the defendant is to
be told what he or she is charged with, the maximum possible penalty
and to have the arraigning Judge or Magistrate set a bond. The
defendant is free at the arraignment to stand mute, enter a plea of not
guilty or plead guilty. However, it is extremely rare for an arraigning
District Court Judge or Magistrate to accept a defendant's plea of
guilty to a felony charge at their arraignment. Rather, the case is
typically set for a preliminary examination conference and preliminary
examination.
It is also during the arraignment that a defendant
is told of their right to have an attorney. Given the consequences of
possible prison sentence, it is imperative that a defendant immediately
contact a competent criminal defense attorney to evaluate the charges
against them. This contact should take place prior to the preliminary
examination conference.
A preliminary examination conference is
a scheduled meeting whereby the defendant's attorney will meet with
the prosecuting attorney to evaluate the merits of the case against the
defendant and to see if the case can be resolved. Usually a competent
criminal defense attorney will explore areas of possible plea
agreements at this point. If the prosecuting attorney and defense
counsel cannot reach an agreement, the case will then proceed to a
preliminary examination.
- Thomas
Wilson: Michigan has tough drunk driving laws and penalties. Laws aimed
at discouraging and punishing those who drink and then choose to
operate a motor vehicle get stricter every year. Every person who
operates a motor vehicle on a public road or highway impliedly consents
to being tested for the presence of alcohol or drugs in their body. It
is now also illegal to operate a watercraft or snowmobile after
consuming alcohol or drugs.
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