Depending on your blood alcohol content and the number of times you’ve been caught, there are several penalties for drunk driving in Michigan. As one of the cities in the state, the same penalties also apply in Royal Oak. This is why you need to hire a drunk driving defense attorney in Royal Oak, MI if you are charged with the offense.
This is because a misdemeanor could mean a misdemeanor criminal offense under Michigan’s Super Drunk Law. You just didn’t realize it because your head was still a little fuzzy at the time.
Are you new to the rules of the state about drunk driving? You should be aware that a first offense DUI in Royal Oak, MI is quite painful.
Drunk Driving Defense to Help You Understand DUI Penalties
First offense misdemeanor is charged to a drunk driver with an alleged BAC (Blood Alcohol Level) of or above 0.08% but less than 0.17%. The penalty includes:
- Jail time of up to 93 days
- Fines and penalties of up to $500
- Suspension of driving license of up to 6 months
- Community service
- Random alcohol and drug testing
- Ignition interlock device requirement
- Enrollment to a court-approved alcohol and drug education program
As if these penalties are not stressful enough to you and your pocket, you may also have to face the cost of prosecution, driver’s responsibility fees, crime victim impact fee, probation oversight fees, and emergency response costs.
But with the help of the best drunk driving lawyer, you may be spared from the additional fees or the number of penalties you could be sentences with.
This is especially true with vehicle immobilization penalty.
What You Need to Know About Vehicle Immobilization
Remember ignition interlock device requirement? This is one way that vehicle immobilization is imposed.
If you need your car for work or business, being banned from using it for a certain period of time could mean money lost that you could have used to pay for prosecution. The kind of inconvenience you will experience could be much worse than the drunk driving penalties.
What is bad about vehicle immobilization is that:
- As a defendant, you will be responsible for paying the installation cost of the device. That’s more money wasted needlessly.
- It will have a negative impact on your normal lifestyle, causing inconvenience to you and your family.
- Your registration plate will be destroyed and replaced with a temporary license plate.
- Your vehicle could remain immobile for 90 days to 3 years.
- A discretionary 180-day immobilization is charged for the first offense.
- Between 90 to 180 days for the second offense.
- Mandatory 1 to 3 years for the third offense.
Of course, if you have another vehicle, you won’t suffer as much since immobilization only applies to the vehicle involved in the drunk driving offense.
It doesn’t apply if the driver doesn’t have an ownership interest in the vehicle in question as well.
But here’s the thing; if you’re not the driver but the owner who knowingly allowed the offender to drive your vehicle drunk, your vehicle would still be immobilized.
With so many intricate details about drunk driving laws and penalties, you should contact Rudoi Law for DUI defense the moment you’ve been charged.
- We will ensure your rights are protected throughout all the proceedings involved.
- We will provide you with the expertise of a lawyer specializing in DUI offenses.
- We will provide you with all the legal options available and within the strict deadlines.
For access to DUI defensive strategies, contact us now at (248) 935-9074 for a no-obligation consultation.