A motorist with - or without - a commercial license can be arrested for OWI in Michigan when found in the driver's seat of a commercial motor vehicle. Motorists with or without a commercial license can also be arrested even if the vehicle is parked or stopped, as long as any part of the vehicle...

You can be charged with OWI in Michigan for being under the influence of drugs behind the wheel. Marijuana is an increasing concern as efforts to legalize pot for medical or recreational use gather stream. Police are struggling to determine how to assess someone's level of impairment caused by marijuana use as lawmakers grapple with...

All drivers who take their vehicles on roads in Michigan give implied consent for chemical testing to be conducted to determine if the driver is illegally impaired behind the wheel. The website for the Secretary of State explains the implied consent law, as well as the consequences for refusing chemical testing. If you unreasonably refuse a test,...

Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and the Labor Day holiday in September all result in an increased push for law enforcement to arrest impaired motorists. The Michigan State Police indicate that "stepped up drunk driving enforcement will take place in all 83 Michigan counties during the Fourth of July drunk driving crackdown." Local police...

Every state in the United States sets its own laws on drunk driving. Although there is some uniformity (for example, .08 is the blood alcohol concentration limit nationwide), there are also significant variations in state laws and penalties imposed. The stricter the potential consequences for conviction, the more important it becomes to mount a successful...

To encourage responsible behavior over the Memorial Day Weekend (one of the biggest drinking days of the year, with a high percentage of drunk driving accidents), police rolled out a new program.  Three teams of uniformed police officers entered popular drinking facilities including bars and restaurants. Officers had breath tests, and the program's purpose was reportedly to provide more...

When police don't read you your rights while asking you questions, there are times when evidence obtained during the questioning can't be used against you. You can petition to have evidence suppressed, which means the judge rules a prosecutor cannot present it. In DWI cases, an experienced DWI defense lawyer can sometimes help defendants avoid...

The U.S. Attorney General announced changes to civil forfeiture rules several months ago in response to complaints that people were having their property taken unjustly. These changes, however, applied only to a very small number of instances of civil forfeiture that may affect people in Detroit, Flint and all of Michigan. Federal agencies still have...

Criminal defense lawyers know that when politicians in Detroit, Flint and all of Michigan try to prove they are "tough on crime," their efforts often lead to bad laws being passed. In far too many situations, lawmakers make laws that do not make sense in the real world or that impose overly harsh punishments just...

In Flint and throughout Michigan, refusal to submit to a test of bodily alcohol content (BAC) can trigger an automatic license suspension. The Michigan Department of State notes Michigan's implied consent laws require the automatic administrative suspension of your license for a one year period of time. This suspension is separate from any type of criminal...