Getting arrested for a DUI is never good news. But if you find yourself facing a drunk driving charge, understanding what success in a Michigan DUI case really means is the most important place to start.
What You Need to Know
Success in a Michigan DUI case is best measured by what does NOT happen to you. Most DUI charges (more than 9 out of 10) do not get dismissed. The real work — and the real value of a skilled DUI lawyer — is in what you avoid: jail, harsh probation conditions, license consequences, and the lasting impact on your record and your life.
How We Achieve Success in Your Michigan DUI Case
The single most important issue when it comes to success in a Michigan DUI case is getting the best possible result. That means either beating the charge entirely, or — if the evidence is too strong for that — avoiding or minimizing as many of the legal penalties and other negative consequences as possible.
As Metro Detroit DUI lawyers, that’s exactly what my team and I do for each and every client we represent.
It really all comes down to this:
Success in a DUI case is best measured by what does NOT happen to you.
This is the gold standard for any person facing a drunk driving charge, and for every lawyer who handles DUI cases. It’s a truth so simple that it’s easy to overlook — especially in an online marketplace full of lawyers competing with ever-louder messaging.
Success in a Michigan DUI Case Is Earned
The first thing my team and I do in every DUI case is look for a way to get the charge dismissed. Everyone wants to “beat” a DUI and make the whole thing just go away. The undeniable reality, however, is that more than 9 out of 10 Michigan DUI charges are not tossed out of court. That number is consistent from year to year.
Accordingly, a sound defense strategy has to go beyond merely hoping for a dismissal. My team and I always formulate a working plan to produce the best possible outcome — and we follow it through to get the most lenient result given all the facts and circumstances of your case.
What Does This Mean For Me?
Everyone’s first priority is staying out of jail. In 1st offense DUI cases, we can almost always accomplish that. And even in 2nd offense and 3rd offense cases, jail time can often be avoided.
But jail is only one part of the picture. There are plenty of other potential consequences that need to be avoided or minimized — and a plea bargain, while always a benefit, is only the beginning of getting the best result.
Real Success Means Getting the Best Possible Outcome
Consider how a typical plea bargain plays out in a DUI case:
Imagine that Bad Luck Brenda gets arrested for OWI. Under MCL 257.625, Operating While Intoxicated is a serious criminal charge. The evidence in Brenda’s case is solid and can’t be successfully challenged. Her lawyer convinces the prosecutor that Brenda, who has never been in trouble before, deserves a break.
In exchange for the dismissal of the OWI charge, she agrees to plead guilty to the reduced charge of OWVI — Operating While Visibly Impaired. This spares her from any driver’s license suspension, saves her points on her driving record, and reduces her fines and costs.
Getting the best plea deal possible should always be the objective in any DUI case that works its way through the court system. But — just like avoiding jail — a plea deal is not the end of the story. There are still plenty of other negative consequences to minimize.
One of the biggest is probation. Anyone who doesn’t get completely out of a DUI is going to end up on some kind of probation. A typical DUI probationary term can range from something short — like 6 months — to something long, all the way up to 24 months. And that’s not the half of it.
Some Outcomes Are Better Than Others
Beyond the length of probation, the conditions matter just as much. While on probation, a person will be required to do some things and forbidden from doing others. Let’s return to Brenda’s case:
Assume Brenda gets sentenced to 2 years of reporting probation. She is required to appear at the probation department every month. On top of that, her probation order includes the following:
- Attend AA twice per week
- Complete an out-patient counseling program
- Provide alcohol breath testing 3 times per day on a portable unit she must rent at her own expense
- Submit a urine sample at a drug testing facility 2 times per week
- Not leave the State of Michigan except for work purposes, and only with prior written approval from the court
“Well,” she thinks, “at least I didn’t go to jail.”
That’s a hard way to live for two years. Our firm can do better than that.
We Can Do Better Than That
Consider the hypothetical case of Lucky Larry, who also received a plea bargain to Impaired Driving (OWVI) — after hiring our firm.
When it came time for sentencing, my team and I stepped up hard. As a result, Larry was ordered to complete a 6-month term of non-reporting probation, with a single condition: don’t get into any further legal trouble.
Brenda has to test constantly, go to AA, attend counseling, and can’t leave the state without permission. Larry, by contrast, can go wherever he wants, whenever he wants, and do pretty much whatever he pleases — as long as he stays out of trouble for the next 6 months.
Who in the world wouldn’t prefer Larry’s outcome?
Our Firm Will Get the Best Result For You
If you’re facing a DUI, consequences like the ones described above are what’s really at issue. Our job is to help you avoid and minimize them. The easier we can make this for you, the better.
DUI cases are complex, and each one has a lot of moving pieces — the underlying facts, the specific court and judge involved, the background of the person charged, and any prior record. All of these must be taken into account in order to properly defend a drunk driving charge.
No matter what, a good outcome is always the direct result of good legal work.
Ultimately, the goal is either to beat the charge completely, or to avoid as many of the legal penalties and negative consequences as possible.
Which brings us back to where we started: success in a Michigan DUI case is best measured by what does NOT happen to you.
What matters most is how intact you come out of this. My team and I never lose sight of that. We will always do what’s necessary to produce the best possible result for each and every client.
No lawyer can do more, and we will never do less.
If you’ve been charged with a DUI in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, or one of the surrounding counties, our office offers free, confidential phone consultations. We’re available Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM at 586-465-1980. An after-hours answering service is available as well. You can also reach us through the contact form or chat box on our website. For more information about how we approach DUI cases, visit our Michigan DUI defense page.
