Strategic OWI Defense to Protect Your License, Record, and Future
An OWI arrest in Macomb County puts your license, your record, and your freedom at risk. The penalties are real: potential jail time, a demanding probation, meaningful fines, and months without a normal driving life. As a Macomb County OWI lawyer, Jeffrey Randa and Associates has spent more than 30 years defending Metro Detroit drivers in district courts throughout Macomb County, protecting not just the criminal case in front of you, but the driving future that follows it. Good people end up in bad situations more often than most people realize. We’re here to help.
Why Choose Jeffrey Randa and Associates for Your Macomb County OWI Case?
When you need a Macomb County OWI lawyer, three decades of local courtroom experience make the difference. Jeffrey Randa and Associates concentrates exclusively in Michigan OWI defense, driver’s license restoration, and criminal defense — nothing else competes for our attention. Founded in 1993 in Mt. Clemens, the firm brings three decades of courtroom experience across every district court in Macomb County.
- 30+ years focused exclusively on OWI defense, license restoration, and criminal defense — not a side practice
- Headquartered in Mt. Clemens, with deep familiarity with every courthouse in Macomb County
- Dual expertise in DUI defense and driver’s license restoration gives a real advantage in second and third offense cases, where both practices intersect
- An ironclad Driver’s License Restoration Guarantee: our clients win the first time, or we keep representing them at no additional attorney fee until they do
- A recovery-informed practice: our founder completed a post-graduate program in addiction studies, giving him a genuine, clinical understanding of how alcohol and addiction shape both the criminal case and the restoration hearing
- Genuine 5-star reviews on Google
- Free and confidential phone consultations
- Transparent, competitive fees
Jeffrey Randa founded this firm in 1993, right here in Mt. Clemens, and has spent every year since helping good people find their way out of bad situations. His post-graduate work in addiction studies isn’t a line on a bio page — it’s given him a genuine, clinical understanding of how alcohol and addiction actually work, and that understanding shapes the way our firm approaches every OWI case and every restoration hearing we take on. Review case results, read client reviews, or learn more about the firm.
What Are the Penalties for an OWI in Michigan?
Michigan’s OWI statute lays out penalty ranges by offense level, but what you actually face depends on your BAC, your prior record, and the specific circumstances of your arrest. Here’s the range we walk through with nearly every client on that first call:
- First offense OWI (BAC 0.08–0.16): Up to 93 days in jail, fines of $100–$500, and driver’s license suspension for 180 days (restricted license issued after 30 days).
- High BAC / Super Drunk (BAC 0.17+): Up to 180 days, fines of $200–$700, a 45-day hard suspension, and 320 days restricted with a required ignition interlock device.
- Second offense OWI (within 7 years): Mandatory 5-day jail minimum with up to 1 year in jail OR probation with 30 to 90 days of community service, fines of $200–$1,000, and license revocation for at least one year (five years if previous revocation was within seven years).
- Third offense OWI: A felony under Michigan’s Heidi’s Law, with 1 to 5 years in prison or at least thirty days and up to one year in jail (this can be waived if a person is admitted into a specialty court program, like Sobriety Court). Fines of $500–$5,000. Under current law, a third OWI in a person’s lifetime will trigger felony charges, but the 10-year lookback still affects how driver’s license revocations are calculated.
In our experience, jail isn’t the typical outcome for a first OWI in Macomb County — these courts can be persuaded to favor probation when the facts support it. The real risk is landing in a difficult probation: constant alcohol testing, mandatory counseling or treatment, and tight license restrictions. The less disruption in your life, the better.
If the evidence is solid, the focus turns to negotiating a plea bargain to a lesser charge, like OWVI (Operating While Visibly Impaired). This carries no hard license suspension (a “hard” suspension means no driving is allowed for any reason) and only results in 90 days of restricted driving.
The first goal in every OWI case we take on is getting the charge dismissed outright. When the evidence doesn’t allow for that, we shift toward limiting the legal penalties and the ripple effects as much as the law allows. We’ve built this firm around a simple motto: success in an OWI case is best measured by what does NOT happen to you.
What Happens to Your License After an OWI Conviction?
The license impact depends on whether you end up with a suspension or a revocation — two very different outcomes, and the difference matters more than most people expect.
A first-offense OWI results in a 30-day hard suspension followed by 150 days of restricted driving. When the restriction period ends, reinstatement is automatic once you pay the mandatory reinstatement fee.
A second-offense OWI within 7 years will result in the total revocation of your license. Unless you’re admitted into a Sobriety Court program, where the judge can override this revocation, you’ll have to wait to file and win a formal license appeal before the Michigan Secretary of State under MCL 257.303. The minimum waiting period before that process begins is one year from the revocation date, but you must be off probation to win, so a person will likely have to wait the better part of 3 years to have any chance of success.
For most people — those with three convictions within ten years — the waiting period to file extends to five years. A prior revocation within seven years at the time of the new revocation triggers the same five-year wait, though that situation is less common.
Refusing a breathalyzer after an arrest triggers a separate penalty. Your license will be suspended for one year under Michigan’s implied consent law, applied regardless of how the underlying OWI charge resolves. You can challenge this at a hearing, and even if you lose or don’t appeal, you can file in circuit court and request restricted driving privileges.
For those with two or more prior OWI convictions, Sobriety Court is always worth considering. It isn’t available for first-offense cases, including High BAC first offenses, and eligibility criteria vary by jurisdiction across Michigan.
How Does a Macomb County OWI Lawyer Challenge the Evidence?
An OWI charge is not a guaranteed conviction — the evidence has to hold up, and after more than 30 years in these specific courtrooms, we know exactly where it often doesn’t.
A traffic stop requires valid probable cause. Without it, the entire case can become challengeable. Field sobriety tests depend heavily on conditions, officer training, and how they were actually administered that night.
Breathalyzers require calibration records, certified operators, and proper testing protocol. Blood test results have to document a complete chain of custody, start to finish.
Any one of these issues can support a dismissal or a charge reduction. Knowing which arguments carry real weight in which Macomb County courtroom is the product of three decades spent in these same buildings, in front of many of these same judges and prosecutors. We do everything humanly and legally possible to get our clients the best result available.
What About License Restoration After an OWI?
If a second or third OWI revokes your license, you’ll eventually face the OHAO restoration process. Most people who go through it without experienced help fail the first attempt — we see it often.
Jeffrey Randa and Associates handles both sides of this: the OWI defense that protects you now, and the license restoration process that gets you driving again later. Few Metro Detroit firms carry equal depth in both, and we built the practice this way on purpose.
The firm’s Driver’s License Restoration Guarantee covers every case we accept. If an appeal falls short, we’ll continue representing you at no additional attorney fee until we win. We make this guarantee because we count on winning — having to redo a losing case amounts to double the work for half the return, which keeps us just as invested as our clients in getting it right the first time.
Eligibility does require genuine sobriety, honesty about your history, and meeting Michigan’s filing requirements — we’ll tell you plainly where you stand before we ever take the case.
License restoration hearings are conducted statewide by video conference, under the process defined in MCL 257.303. In Macomb County, where driving is a daily necessity, getting that license back as soon as possible matters most.
Which Courts Handle OWI Cases in Macomb County?
Macomb County has ten district courts (two located within the 37th district). Misdemeanor OWI cases are tried at the district court level with felony third-offense OWI cases going to the 16th Circuit Court in Mt. Clemens.
- 37th District Court — City of Warren
- 37th District Court — City of Centerline
- 38th District Court — Eastpointe
- 39th District Court — Roseville, Fraser
- 40th District Court — St. Clair Shores
- 41A-1 District Court (Sterling Heights) — Sterling Heights
- 41A-2 District Court (Shelby Division) — Shelby Township, Macomb Township, Utica
- 41B District Court — Clinton Township, Harrison Township, Mt. Clemens
- 42nd District Court, Division 1 — Cities of Memphis and Richmond, and Townships of Bruce, Washington, Armada, Ray, and Richmond
- 42nd District Court, Division 2 — New Baltimore, Chesterfield Township, Lenox Township
We’ve practiced in every one of these district courts for more than 30 years — we know the law, and we know how each court and each judge tends to apply it.
What to Expect When You Call Jeffrey Randa and Associates
It starts with a free phone consultation with a Macomb County OWI lawyer who already knows these courts inside and out. A real, familiar member of our team will talk through your situation, explain what the charges actually mean, and walk you through what your defense could look like.
From there, we review the evidence, identify defense angles, and build a strategy that carries from arraignment through resolution. Questions about your driving future — including license restoration — get addressed from day one, not as an afterthought.
- Free phone consultation, no obligation
- Complete case review and defense strategy
- Representation from arraignment through resolution
- Virtual and in-person appointments available
- Transparent fees, explained upfront
Every call gets a real person, and every case gets our full attention, from the first conversation through the final result.
Facing an OWI Charge in Macomb County? Call Us Today
An OWI charge doesn’t define your next chapter. As your Macomb County OWI lawyer, Jeffrey Randa and Associates has spent over 30 years helping good people across Macomb County and Metro Detroit handle exactly these situations. Contact our office online for a free phone consultation — a member of our team is ready to talk through what you’re facing.
Frequently Asked Questions About OWI in Macomb County
What is the difference between OWI, OWVI, and DUI in Michigan?
Michigan law uses the term OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) rather than DUI, though DUI is how most people search. OWI applies when a driver’s BAC reaches 0.08 or higher, or when alcohol or drugs impair their ability to drive. OWVI (Operating While Visibly Impaired) is a lesser charge for visible impairment below the OWI threshold, and a plea to OWVI typically means no hard license suspension and a less significant criminal record.
What is High BAC / “Super Drunk” in Michigan, and how is it different from a standard OWI?
Michigan’s High BAC law — sometimes called the “Super Drunk” law — applies when a driver’s BAC is 0.17 or above. The penalties are significantly harsher than a standard first-offense OWI: up to 180 days in jail (double the standard maximum), fines of $200–$700, a 45-day hard suspension with no driving allowed for any reason, and 320 days of restricted driving with a mandatory ignition interlock device. A High BAC conviction is still a misdemeanor, but the license consequences and mandatory interlock requirement make it far more disruptive than a standard first offense. Negotiating a High BAC charge down to a standard OWI or OWVI is a realistic goal with the right defense.
Can a first-offense OWI be reduced to a lesser charge in Macomb County?
In many first-offense cases, prosecutors will consider a plea to a less serious offense, like OWVI, as part of a negotiated resolution. The outcome depends on the evidence, the facts of the stop, and the skill of your defense attorney. Macomb County courts tend to favor probation over incarceration for first offenses, but knowing which arguments create room for negotiation takes years of experience in these specific courts.
If I’m convicted of OWI in Michigan, can my record ever be cleared?
A first-and-only OWI conviction may qualify for expungement under Michigan’s OWI expungement law. You must wait five years after your discharge from probation — not from the conviction date. Cases involving injury or death are not eligible, and the offense must be your only OWI conviction.