OWI Arrest Jackson, Michigan
All alcohol related driving offenses can have a serious and long-lasting impact on your life. In addition the possibility of criminal sanctions such as jail sentences and probation, a drunk driving conviction may result in driver’s license restrictions or revocation of your driving privileges, cancellation or significant increase in your insurance premiums and negative employment related consequences. If you are facing a drunk driving offense in Jackson or Hillsdale Counties in Michigan it is imperative that you obtain experienced legal counsel to minimize the adverse consequences as much as possible. Contact attorney Philip C. Curtis today.
Michigan Drunk OR DRUGGED Driving Offenses
Under Michigan law there are several variations of what is generally referred to as drunk driving. Each offense comes with its own set of possible penalties and driver’s license consequences. The following are some of the most common alcohol and drug related driving offenses in the State of Michigan.
Impaired Driving - Or Operating While Visually Impaired is the lesser of all the drug or alcohol driving offenses. Impaired driving requires the state to prove that your ability to drive a vehicle was impaired because of the consumption of alcohol or intake of drugs. A person can be guilty of this offense even if their blood alcohol content (“BAC”) is below the legal limit of .08. In some cases, where the state cannot prove OWI per se (BAC above .08) it may still be able to prove impairment. This offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 90 days in jail.
Operating While Intoxicated - OWI, drunk driving or drugged driving requires the state to prove that an individual was operating a motor vehicle on a public road and either he: a.) Had a BAC of at least .08; b.) Was under the influence of alcohol; c.) Was under the influence of a control substance; d.) Was under the influence of an intoxicating substance; or e.) Was under the influence of a combination of alcohol and a controlled substance or intoxicating substance. This offense carries a maximum jail sentence of 93 days and a 30 day hard suspension of your driver’s license followed by a 180 day restricted license.
High BAC/Super Drunk - This offense requires the state to show that an individual was operating a motor vehicle on a public road and had a BAC of .17 or more. This offense carries a maximum jail sentence of 180 days along with a 45 day hard suspension of the driver’s license followed by a 320 day restricted license.
OWI 2nd Offense - A person can be convicted of OWI 2nd if they have a prior conviction for any impaired, drunk or drugged driving offense in the past 7 years and they are convicted of either impaired driving, OWI or High BAC. This carries with it a jail sentence of 5-180 days and a minimum driver’s license revocation of 1 year. Once your license is revoked you must apply to have it reinstated.
OWI 3rd - Felony Drunk Driving - A person who has two prior alcohol or drug related driving offenses any time in their life-time and is convicted of a third offense is guilty of a felony which is punishable by a minimum jail sentence of 30 days up to 5 years in prison.
Contact Jackson, MI Drunk Driving Attorney
If you have been charged with an alcohol or drug related driving offense in Jackson or Hillsdale counties, contact attorney Philip C. Curtis today. Mr. Curtis has over 24 years experience defending drunk driving cases in Jackson and Hillsdale.