You were pulled over, arrested for a DUI, taken to jail, and your license was suspended. This happens every single day in the state of Michigan. Why has your license been suspended? What can you do to get it back? And who can help? This guide answers these and many more DUI questions related to getting your license back.

Why a Michigan license suspension?
Michigan is different than other states simply because each state has similar but somewhat different drinking and driving laws. Some call it a DWI, others OWI, while most call it a DUI. Some will suspend your license longer than others. Some may charge you with an aggravated DUI for being far over the limit or for drinking and driving multiple times. The reasons for each state law are pretty much the same: those who drink alcohol or abuse drugs and drive are dangers  on the road. Across the country, drinking and driving is a leading cause of traffic deaths.

You were charged because of this, because it’s so dangerous to mix alcohol or drugs and driving.

How can you get your license back after a DUI?
If you only have one DUI violation, getting your license back is much easier than if you are a habitual often. For most, you will apply for a general reinstatement. If it involves drugs, it will be a reinstatement for a drug crime, and if you are a minor it’s also different. The point here is that first time offenders can and often do get their licenses back. You have to wait until your suspension is over, you go to the  Michigan Secretary of State office, and apply for reinstatement.

What if you are charged for multiple drinking and driving violations?
If you have been repeatedly caught drinking and driving, you have to go the the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD), who will review your case. You will have to prove your alcohol or drug problem is gone, that you won’t repeat the offense, and that you want to follow the laws. If your license is revoked, it can take much more time and legal work to get it back.

How much will it cost?
A general reinstatement fee for a suspended license is only $125. If you want your license back after a drug crime, that fee is $250, and the same for a minor in possession (MIP). Your lawyer fees, and you should get a lawyer, will cost some money too.

Who can help?
Getting your license reinstated for a one time alcohol or drug offense is often fairly simple. You have to pay a minor fee and can move on. However, to represent your interests in court, you need a professional lawyer. An experienced Michigan DUI lawyer is very important if you’ve been caught multiple times drinking and driving. You can expect penalties far beyond simple license suspension, including fines, jail time, and probation. A lawyer’s job is to lessen penalties, if not remove them, and help you move on with your life.

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In the state of Michigan, DUI charges stem from the danger in abusing substances and driving. The problem is a big one: many die every year in Michigan due to driving under the influence, particularly young people. For DUI defense, let’s first go over what happens before you’re pulled over.

Why are you pulled over?
According to the state of Michigan official site, you weave between lanes, wander from one lane to another, run off the pavement, stop too quickly or slowly, drive too quickly or slowly, go through stop signs or signals, or even drive on the wrong side of the road. Many of these are quite obvious, but by drinking, you’re losing the ability to drive and make good decisions. Those who abuse alcohol or drugs and drive are a leading cause of accidents in Michigan.

You Need a Michigan DUI Lawyer
If you are charged, the first step is to hire an experienced DUI lawyer. This really is not an option. A lawyer will charge you a fee, but he or she will have a key role in your defense. Just getting pulled over and charged does not mean this arrest will stick. Minor mistakes cause the case to be thrown out, if not getting a plea bargain from the prosecution. While getting plea bargains are rare in DUI cases, there are many times where your rights are infringed upon.

Defense Based On Officer
If the arresting officer made mistakes, the entire case can be put in jeopardy and the charges might be thrown out. If the officer had no reason to pull you over, this infringes upon your rights. If the officer abused you during the arrest, that is against the law. If the officer incorrectly used the breathalyzer, it can cast doubt on the charges. Finally, the officer may have never read you your rights, the Miranda, which is required by law.

Defense Based on Breathalyzer
Breathalyzer tests are not perfect In fact, they are subject to how experienced an officer is with them. Michigan, like all states, uses the BAC (blood alcohol content) level of .08 when it comes to drinking and driving. If you are over the limit, you will be arrested and charged. However, the breathalyzer is a complex device; readings very close to the limit can sometimes cast doubt on the prosecution’s case. More often the arresting officer made a mistake.

Winning and Losing
Beyond the officer and breathalyzer, your defense can be helped by a variety of things. It’s not always about the charges being dropped; more often your penalties can be lessened. Michigan DUI laws are stiff: you can lose your license, face fines, get jail time, be put on probation, among other penalties. However, with the right defense, you can win and move on with your life.

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Sometimes bad situations can turn into learning experiences. When it comes to drinking and driving, no matter the charges, you may feel somewhat unsure of what happens after. What do you do with no drivers license, court fines, and having served or going to serve jail time?

It all depends on where you’re at. The problem is first time offenders are very common, but these same people getting pulled over again is all too common too. Whatever your problem, you can face stiff penalties. What happens after them?

After a First Time Offense
After your first DUI charge, you have some options. This may be the biggest learning experience for drivers, because you can effectively nip the problem in the bud and never get behind the wheel again. You still will have penalties: license suspension of 6 months or more, fines, and potentially jail time. For Michigan DUI offenses, the charges are as serious as other states. However, in Michigan, even your first DUI will stay on your record for life. It  can never be cleared.

After Multiple Offenses
You may be spending some time in jail, and it’s unlikely you’ll be driving anytime soon, at least legally.  The important thing is to avoid driving at all, because if you’re pulled over you will be arrested on the spot by a Detroit police officer. It’s a major problem which is why the punishment is so great. And it will extend your suspend license as well as other penalties.

After Penalties
After your penalties, life isn’t over. You can rebuild your life, but first you have to salvage what you can. This DUI will stay on your record, your license will be suspended, fines are common, and jail time from a few days to a few months may also occur. You just might have to serve time; there is nothing good in that. However, you can learn you lesson, fight if you believe you were treated wrongly, and start rebuilding once you get through all the penalties.

After Jail
Jail can be one of the biggest learning experiences, oddly enough. Michigan does put drinking and driving offenders in jail. If you hit another car or pedestrian and someone  was hurt, it’s very likely you’ll be spending time in jail or prison.

When  You Get a License Suspension
Driving is the worst thing you can do after a DUI offense. Do whatever you can to live without your car. This may mean biking to work, or having your spouse drive you.

When will it be over?
A Michigan DUI will never be expunged from your record, but you need not worry anymore if you’ve learned the lesson. Why are these penalties so strict? Drinking and driving fatalities are unfortunately very common, in Detroit and all of Michigan. The problem is so great that the penalties have to be enforced. Remember, just drinking greatly increases your chances of getting into an accident.

Rebuilding after a Detroit DUI is very possible. It’s not easy either, but you can expect life to get better once you get through it.

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Defending a DUI is complex in any state, especially if you want to fight the DUI by the case made with the arrest. This means you are appealing to how the officer arrested you.

Michigan police officers act about the same as officers in other states during a DUI arrest. There are different names for drinking and driving, from DUI to DWI to OWI, and there are different ways they are punished. But the basic BAC, blood alcohol content, is the same 0.08% in every state in the country.

How do you defend a DUI arrest? What happens if this is your second or third DUI? What if you feel the officer made mistakes in arresting you? This guide offers answers.

Defenses for a Michigan DUI Related to Arrest
If the Michigan officer arrested you in the wrong, all evidence gained from that arrest can be considered “inadmissible” in court. If the officer had no reason to pull you over, give you a breathalyzer test, and he arrested you, you can argue this in court.

Probable Cause for Michigan DUI
If the officer had no reason to pull you over, as mentioned above, there is no probable cause. There are many reasons an officer might pull you over in the wrong. You could claim many things, from race to type of car, and argue in court. If the officer pulled you over for reasons beyond believing you were doing something wrong, finds that you’ve been drinking, and gives you a breathalyzer test, state law says there may be no probable cause and therefore no case to take to court.

The Miranda Warning for Michigan DUI
If you are pulled over, tested for alcohol via a breathalyzer or other test, and arrested, you still might have a case. Michigan officers, like all police in the country, are required to follow protocol when it comes to making an arrest, namely explaining your rights in a Miranda warning. The Miranda is the classic speech you hear on TV shows–you have the right to remain silent etc–and it’s actually how things run. If an officer arrests you and gives no Miranda, you have a case against  the charges as your rights were never explained.

Who Can Fight the Michigan DUI for You
In any case, you likely won’t know how to win in court. For instance, how can you plead probable cause if you have no legal experience? Reading the laws is good, but it is no substitute for having a professional Michigan DUI lawyer to help. A DUI lawyer is a must in almost every drinking and driving case. He or she can defend against the DUI in many more ways than listed here, such as the validity of the BAC test.

Your rights are important, so hire the right DUI lawyer to help.

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If you’re ever pulled over after drinking in Michigan, you should know how the state enforces DUI laws. Michigan considers drinking and driving as a DUI, driving under the influence, while some other states use DWI, driving while intoxicated. The words have no difference, but what is different  is how Michigan courts handle DUI charges for individuals.

First, what happens if you do get pulled over? You might have prior convictions and no license, which means you’ll be arrested. You might have been drinking some with friends prior to getting in your vehicle, and hurt someone while driving; this would have some of the worst penalties you get for DUI in all states including Michigan. Or maybe you just got pulled over on a bad day, but feel the officer didn’t handle your arrest correctly.

What are your options after a DUI?
1-Hire a DUI lawyer
2-Plead your case
3-Don’t make the same mistake again

Hiring a Michigan DUI lawyer is quite important for any time when you’ve be arrested for a DUI. No matter the circumstances, you need professional counsel to walk you through the process. And if you’re facing major charges, such as felony charges, you cannot do without a Michigan DUI lawyer who can plead your case.

Sometimes you just make a mistake. The trick is not to make the same mistake again. In every state in the U.S., the more driving under the influence charges you get the worse the penalties are. So what are the penalties for a Michigan DUI?

Limits
First, you should know the limit for Michigan is the same as all other states–0.08% or over is a DUI. If you’re under 21, you get pulled over, and have an alcohol level of over 0.02%, according to the “zero tolerance” law, you can be charged.

Definitions for DUI
BAC is blood alcohol content, the 0.08% number. Zero tolerance is a law used across every state which targets drivers under the legal drinking age. Michigan also uses the “implied consent” law, where if you refuse to be tested for BAC, your license can be suspended and you face other penalties.

Penalties for Michigan DUI Charges
Michigan penalties vary depending on the nature of the DUI offense, if you are a repeat offender, and if you hurt someone. If you frequently get DUI and/or drive with a suspended license, you can expect jail time. The same is the case if you hurt someone while driving under the influence of alcohol.

For your first DUI offense, you can expect a 6 month license suspension,. as well as both education and treatment assessment. For a second offense, your license can be suspended for 1 year or more, you are again forced to take alcohol education and treatment, your vehicle can be confiscated, and you can expect to use a Ignition Interlock Device when you do get your license back. For a third offense, the penalties all get stiffer. You can typically expect jail time, extended license suspensions, and harsh fines.

In any case, you’ll need a DUI lawyer to help .The best thing you can do is to be safe and never drink and drive. It’s just not worth it.

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