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Southfield Drunk Driving Lawyers

• Mark Freedman: Drunk Driving Don't Just Plead Guilty as Charged! Being charged with drunk driving is a terrifying event. A drunk driving conviction can result in imprisonment, the loss of your license, points on your driver record and increased insurance premiums. Losing your license or having to go to jail can effect your employment and your livelihood. Unfortunately, when faced with a drunk driving charge, many people just plead guilty as charged--completely unaware that there are other options. Or, they attempt to represent themselves to negotiate a plea agreement without an attorney. You can do that, but you shouldn’t. Any drunk driving conviction becomes a prior offense for any future drunk driving arrests and recent legislation has enhanced the penalties for drunk driving violations including making a third drunk driving offense a felony in the State of Michigan. That is why it is crucial for a person charged with any drunk driving offense to have experienced legal representation!
• Kirsch & Satawa: Recent highly publicized criminal trials have proven that when you are charged with a crime, the only way to protect your rights is to be represented by a tough and experienced defense lawyer. A good lawyer protecting your rights does make a difference.
• Marc Fishman: Michigan overhauled the Drunk Driving Laws on October 1, 2004. The Legislature changed the name of the offense to Operating While Intoxicated (?OWI?). Under the prior Statute, a person was assumed to be Operating Under the Influence (?OUIL?) if they had a blood alcohol level of .10 or higher, Operating While Visibly Impaired (?OWVI?) if they had a blood alcohol level of .08 or .09, and not impaired if they had a level of .07 or lower. The new law has REMOVED those presumptions. It would now be possible to charge an individual with OWVI, Regardless of the blood alcohol level. The courts have greater leeway in installing ignition interlock devices. The Law has also imposed MUCH GREATER fines. It is extremely important to obtain counsel as quickly as possible if charged with any of these offenses
• Mark Ross: The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that criminal defendants have a right to the assistance of counsel. Courts have interpreted this to mean that criminal defendants have a right to an attorney during all critical stages throughout the criminal process. In addition, before a defendant is permitted to proceed to trial without a lawyer, the challenges and dangers of doing so must be "rigorously conveyed" to the defendant.
• Jonathan Jones: Plea bargaining is the process of settling a criminal case before it goes to trial. It saves taxpayers money and benefits defendants by imposing lesser sentences. Basically, the prosecutor and defendant negotiate an agreement where the prosecutor usually receives a guilty plea from the defendant and the defendant usually receives a lighter sentence or reduction in the amount of charged crimes. By most estimates, 90-95% of all criminal cases are disposed of in this manner.
• Pamela Radzinski:

  DUI-DWI Offenses —A cultural stigma has become associated with drunk driving that was not present in our society even a decade ago. Public perception categorizes people charged with drunk driving as criminals, even before they have been convicted of any crime. Being arrested for drunk driving, driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI) can be an unsettling proposition, to say the least. A DUI - DWI conviction in Michigan carries with it heavy penalties, including:

  • A permanent criminal record
  • Suspension or loss of license
  • Increased insurance rates
  • Community service
  • Possible jail or prison time
  • Alcohol assessment and treatment
  • Probation
  • Vehicle immobilization or forfeiture
  • Serious fines
  • Possible job loss

  If you have been arrested or accused of drunk driving, DUI, DWI, vehicular homicide, or any other alcohol-related criminal offense, you are probably frightened, confused, and concerned about your future and that of your family. The selection of an experienced attorney is the first step towards regaining control of your life.