Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

We concluded Part 2 of this article with the general notion that anyone claiming or even trying to be "Sober" should not be using any potentially addictive or mind and/or mood altering medication. In this third installment about prescription medications in a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeal, we'll look at how the presence of these medications is detected beyond a person simply admitting such use. In particular, we'll review the urine test that is a required part of any Michigan Driver's License Appeal. While the urine test is used to provide the state with an assay of the substances in a person's system, including prescription medications, there is more to it than just testing "clean" or not.

In the last installment, I noted that, as a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Attorney, I had better be the first person to learn that a person is on, or has (detectably) used the potentially addictive or mind and/or mood altering medications that is the focus of our inquiry. Here's where that "strategy" to which I alluded in Part 1 of this article comes into play, and I must take a "diplomatic pass" and trust the reader will understand that, outside of the confines of my Office, I can say little more about what happens once I learn about such use. Suffice it to say here that while the strategy varies from case to case, the key element of any such strategy is planning. Each plan, in turn, depends on the unique facts of any particular case.

I am often asked about the logistics of the urine test; some people think it is collected separately from the Substance Abuse Evaluation. It is not, at least for my Clients. The Clinic to which I refer my Clients for the required Substance Abuse Evaluation is located a few blocks from my Office, and collects their urine for the lab test. This is particularly helpful for the roughly one-half of my Clients who come from out-of-state. For those who live either out of state, or across the state, we'll arrange for their first appointment with me (which takes about 3 hours) to be scheduled the same day as their Substance Abuse Evaluation. This way, they can go right from my Office to their Evaluation.

The urine test serves several purposes beyond just showing that a person has or has not been puffing on a joint in the last few weeks.

To begin, the urine test can't just be any old urine test. The $10 do-it-yourself home test, even administered by the Substance Abuse Evaluator, will not cut it. In order to pass muster in a Michigan License Reinstatement (Restoration) Appeal, a urine test must be a "10-panel" test with at least 2 "integrity variables." Integrity variables are very much what they sound like; things that are examined in the test to make sure he sample is unadulterated or diluted.

Dilution is a big problem. If a person drinks too much water, their test will come back "diluted." Dilution is usually determined because the level of creatinine in a person's urine is lower than what's considered clinically normal. Creatinine is present in everyone's urine, and there is a guideline range that dictates what is normal, and what is not. When the level of creatinine falls below a certain amount, the urine sample is considered dilute, and therefore considered invalid. Thus, the real implication of a diluted sample is "invalid," as in adulterated, or hiding something. This can completely derail an otherwise winning License Appeal.

Continue reading "Michigan Driver's License Restoration and the Issue of Prescription Medication - Part 3" »

In Part 1 of this article, we began our inquiry into the potential dangers or prescription drug use in a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeal. We clarified that we were not talking about things like blood thinners or heart medications, but the kind of prescriptions upon which people can become dependent. Let's continue our discussion...

Reduced to its most basic level, alcoholism and drug addiction are really an addiction to getting a buzz. Alcoholics and addicts are hooked, in large part, on changing the way they feel. After a while, being "sober" is not the norm, or at least not the desired norm. Changing one's consciousness can become a psychological and/or physiological habit in some people, but not in others.

It is interesting that every Substance Abuse Counselor in the world considers this basic stuff, yet many Physicians aren't particularly well versed in it. Doctors are trained to cure diseases, treat illness and fix injuries. It is actually a somewhat rare medical specialty (not surprisingly called addiction medicine) that treats alcoholism and addiction. Other than that, about the only professional contact most Doctors have with alcoholism and addiction is when someone shows up in the ER suffering any of the many consequences of such abuse, from accidents to liver failure to overdose. And the best (and really only) advice they can give is for the person to stop and get some help. That help comes from someone who treats alcohol and substance abuse issues. With the exception of those few Doctors specializing in addiction medicine, this will almost always be a Substance Abuse Counselor.

Because they spend their time fixing injured people, and helping sick people get well, many, if not most, Physicians don't have any detailed knowledge of the proper treatment protocol for the diseases of alcoholism and addiction, and how cross-addiction and substitution are inherent risks in the addiction AND Recovery process. Besides, Doctors are usually very busy; they have limited time with each patient. Come in with a broken leg, and you'll have it set and get discharged with instructions and a prescription for painkillers.

This is a complication. This is actually a complication within other complications...

It seems that the more we analyze or talk about this, the farther reality moves away from theory...

Continue reading "Michigan Driver's License Restoration and the Issue of Prescription Medication - Part 2" »

One aspect of the Michigan Driver's License Restoration (or, as some people say, Michigan Driver's License Reinstatement) process that has been turning up more frequently in my Office involves the use of prescription medication. Depending on the medication, and/or the reason for its use, this can be a huge issue, and has the potential to derail what would otherwise appear to be a winning Michigan License Appeal. This article will examine the issue of the potentially addictive, or mind and/or mood altering prescription medication use in a Michigan Driver's License Appeal. Our focus will be limited to legitimately prescribed medications, and will not encompass any other substances, like recreational drugs, or medication used without a valid prescription.

I need to be clear about something right up front; there's a significant part of this topic that is intimately wrapped up with the strategies I use to win Restoration Appeals. As much as I'm going to pull the curtain back on this topic, like a magician talking about his show, I'm not going to reveal my "trade secrets." The fact of the matter is, much of what I know about properly handling License Restorations accounts for why I win as much as I do, and why I offer a first-time win Guarantee. This separates me from the pack of Lawyers who claim to "do" License Appeals, or who buy web site domain names with the words "license restoration" in the title. None of these operations, as far as I know, (whatever Fee they may charge), offers a Guarantee like I do.

Anyone who is truly in "Recovery" fundamentally understands that they cannot use any kind of potentially addictive, mind and/or mood-altering substance unless there is no medically suitable alternative. We're not talking blood pressure medication, or thyroid medication, or anything like that; we're talking about things like tranquilizers, painkillers, and psychotropic medications upon which people can become hooked.

I realize that there are some people who've been able to quit drinking (often without the help of AA or any kind of long-term treatment) that don't know this. Within the context of winning a License Appeal, however, they need to know it, even if I'm the one to teach them. Unfortunately, some approaches to Recovery and Sobriety fail to recognize that certain people are capable of overcoming a drinking problem without lifetime AA involvement or anything more than a commitment to never drink again, and a fundamental understanding that they cannot.

Beyond that, in the real world, there are people who have successfully quit drinking and that safely manage to use medication that would otherwise be considered potentially addictive or mind and/or mood altering without any problems.

That doesn't change the fact, however, that the Michigan Secretary of State, through its Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD), will absolutely DENY an Appeal if someone tests positive for, or otherwise admits to using any such medication without proper explanation. As we continue our analysis, we'll more fully explore the meaning and significance of testing positive for any of these medications, and what a "proper explanation" for their use really means.

Continue reading "Michigan Driver's License Restoration and the Issue of Prescription Medication - Part 1" »

Within the body of the Driver's License Restoration section of this blog, I have tried to examine the License Appeal process from every possible angle. This article will present a different perspective, as it won't focus so much on the process, or an aspect of the process, but rather something that underlies the whole process; the "voice" of the Lawyer. In a few recent additions to the DUI section and the Criminal cases section of my website, I have focused on the importance of the "voice" of the Lawyer and how, really, it all comes down to this.

In a License Appeal, the Lawyer's "voice" is a bit more understated, but no less important. In a Criminal case, the Lawyer's first job is to help shape his or her Client's side of the story, or at least their explanation for it. In a License Restoration Appeal, that "voice" helps shape the case as a whole. In an earlier article, I noted how the story of a person's Recovery is, in fact, a "story," and that a big part of my job is to help the Client put the words to it.

Imagine, for a moment, if you were sitting out on a suburban backyard patio, and suddenly, you looked up and rather surprisingly saw a deer standing about 20 feet away, just looking back at you. Now, think about how you would tell this story to different groups of people in your life:

To your small children, you'd talk about the deer like you might describe a "bunny rabbit."

To the women in your life, you'd describe the graceful beauty of the creature, with its big eyes.

To the guys you know who are big hunters, depending on your own disposition, you might not say a word, you might ask how they could shoot such a beautiful animal, or you might talk about the venison dish that "got away."

The point is that, depending on the audience, the "voice" of the story, if not the storyteller, changes. Knowing how to tell a story is every bit as important as the story itself, if not more so.

In a License Appeal, it falls to the Lawyer to help put the right voice to the story, and then, once the identity of the particular Hearing Officer who will ultimately decide the case becomes known, to fine-tune it accordingly.

I think I have the right "voice" to win a License Appeal, and, given my overwhelming success, this allows me to offer a win Guarantee. Nevertheless, I know that the voice I use in a License Appeal is neither the only one possible, nor the only one that can win. Still, my voice is strong enough to offer my first-time win Guarantee, and I don't hear any more of those amongst the chorus of Lawyers...

Continue reading "Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeals - FInding That Winning Voice" »

I handle DUI cases in all the District Courts of Macomb and Oakland Counties, as well as parts of Wayne County. Almost every day, I meet with someone facing their first DUI, which in the majority of cases means someone facing their first-ever Criminal charge. In addition, many of my DUI Clients are people facing a 2nd Offense, or even a 3rd (Felony) Offense Drunk Driving charge. Their apprehension over what will happen may be a bit more informed, if not different, but no one is ever happy about being charged with a Drunk Driving Offense and wondering what's going to happen to them.

One thing that all people facing any kind of DWI charge have in common is the emotional strain they feel from the first moment of Police contact. In an earlier article on this very subject, I began examining the emotional impact of a DUI, and numerous times since its publication, a new Client has told me how they identified with it. In this article, I will reexamine that subject from a slightly different perspective. It seems that there is more to this topic than I was able to explore in the previous article, and I think a big part of that emotional stress is related to fear. While fear itself can be a healthy warning mechanism that keeps us safe, excessive or unreasonable fear can wreak havoc on a person's well being.

In the world of alcohol-related Driving Offenses, fear tends to lose any real value once a person has been pulled over. If fear can provide any benefit in this setting, it would be to prevent a person who's had a few too many from getting behind the wheel in the first place. Once the keys are in the ignition (it may surprise the reader to learn that, in Michigan, sitting behind the wheel in a car with the keys in the ignition, even thought the car hasn't been started, has been found by the Courts to be enough exercise of "control" over the car for that person to be charged with DUI), it's too late. All the fear in the world won't stop what's about to happen.

There is probably no unpleasant feeling a person can experience that rivals that "sinking feeling" they get when they see the Police car lights in their rear view mirror after they've been out drinking. And if we could just hit the "pause" button at that very instant for just a moment, we'd discover something very important. There is usually a very good reason for that sense of foreboding a person feels. In most cases, the Driver knows he or she is over the limit. It's not like they get that sinking feeling because they think they're about to get a speeding Ticket. Even if they rather naively hope they may get through the Police contact without the issue of drinking coming up (like that ever happens...), they know that they're in a tight spot. Ask anyone at that precise instant if they'd like to volunteer to perform some Field Sobriety Tests or take a Breath Test, and you won't see any hands raised.

In some people, alcohol impairs judgment in such a way that they think they may be able to sound sober, or talk their around, if not out of, the situation. Some may even think they can do "okay" on any kind of Field Sobriety Test. In an ironic, if not humorous twist of fate, many of these same people, when reviewing the Police car dash cam video, will see themselves after a few too many, and rather humbly say "turn it off. I've seen enough."

Continue reading "Rescued From the Stress and Fear of a Detroit-Area DUI Case" »

In a recent blog article, I warned against using some family member or friend that happens to be a Lawyer, to handle a Detroit-area Criminal, DUI or Driver's License Restoration case. The point of that admonition was to avoid getting involved with a Lawyer who offers or otherwise thinks they can "do" one of these cases, even though their area(s) of Practice is something different. Since I'm on a roll about the things a person should NOT do, this article will address another fairly common "no-no" that never does anything good; the "legal advice" from well meaning friends or family-members who are NOT Lawyers.

Some Lawyers call this "bar stool legal advice," because it is, at best, the kind of b.s. a person hears from the "expert" sitting on the next bar stool. As a Lawyer who concentrates in Drunk Driving, Driver's License Appeal and certain kinds of Criminal cases, I have had to deal with this countless times in the past. Honestly, I hate it; I have little patience and less time, really, to hear, second-hand, the amateur legal analysis of some non-Lawyer. Having endured it from my side of the desk, it has changed me as a Patient or Client or customer when I'm sitting on the other side. Ask any Lawyer or Doctor about the helpful, know-it-all relative, and you'll get a knowing smirk accompanied by a roll of the eyes.

Without fail, every time I am confronted with the expert legal opinion of some inter-meddling non-Lawyer, I have to explain how and why they are wrong. Never, in 22 years of being a Lawyer, have I learned anything I didn't already know. No one has ever made me aware of a Law or rule of which I wasn't already familiar, and I have never been presented with a strategy better than that which I already had.

Instead, when someone says "A friend of mine told me...." or, "I have a friend who is a Police Officer," or, "My brother had the exact same kind of case," I know that I'm about to have to waste some time explaining things.

No doubt the advice given by these well-meaning souls was tendered with only the best of intentions. Yet that doesn't make the advice itself any better.

To put this in perspective, I regularly represent Lawyers and their friends and families in DUI and Criminal matters. Invariably, the Lawyer, unless he or she is the Client, serves as the contact person, and explains that such a case is outside their field of experience. They understand the meaning of the saying "you don't know what you don't know." Accordingly, they defer to the person who handles such cases day in and day out - me.

Sometimes, a Lawyer will simply need information about something that is beyond their area of Practice. This happens to me, and to just about every Lawyer who has real life Clients. The more cerebral amongst us will call another Lawyer who handles the kind of matter about which we want to inquire. Why talk to someone who makes his or her living doing something else? Why would anyone with a brain listen to the advice of some "Jailhouse Lawyer?"

Continue reading "Free "Expert" Amatuer Legal Advice for Detroit-Area Criminal, DUI and LIcense Restoration Cases" »

Reading Driving Records is part of what I do everyday as a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Lawyer. On any given day, my Office answers inquiries from any number of callers either telling us that they're eligible to file a License Appeal, and want to begin the process, or asking us if they are, in fact, eligible. Often, the caller will know how many years have passed since their last DUI. From there, they either presume that they are ready to go, or believe that, having been provided with that information, I can make that determination.

This uncharacteristically short article will examine "eligibility" to file a License Appeal, but not so much as an analysis of the rules affecting when a person can proceed, but rather how and why they should get a copy of their Michigan Driving Record in order for me to determine and verify that they are, in fact, eligible.

To be clear, there are just some cases so cut and dried that I don't need to review a person's Driving Record to know they're good to go. Here's where a review of the rules and consequences of multiple DUI's is helpful. The previous link will take the reader to the more detailed subsection of my website. Here, we can summarize as follows:

Two (2) DUI convictions within seven (7) years = 1-year Revocation

Three (3) DUI convictions within ten (10) years = 5-year Revocation

Accordingly, if someone calls my Office and says, for example, that their entire Record consists of just 2 DUI'S, the last having been over 2 years ago, that they've been off of Probation for at least several months, and that they've never had any Tickets since then, I can tell, without referring to any Driving Record, that they are at least legally and really eligible to seek Restoration of their Driver's License.

When someone calls, however, and has more tha 2 DUI's, and isn't clear on the dates, or they've been caught Driving after they've had their License Revoked, or has a combination of DUI's from more than 1 state, then it's best if I verify their eligibility by reviewing their Driving Record. And getting that Record is easier than ever...

Continue reading "Getting A Driving Record to begin a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeal." »

In my previous blog article, I addressed the myth that a person can never win a License Restoration Appeal the first time. I pointed out that I GUARANTEE that I'll win any Appeal I take the first time around. In this article, I want to continue with another installment of shorter length (this from a guy whose average piece runs about 4 pages) and clarify that, almost without exception, a person cannot win a License Appeal if they are still on Probation, and absolutely will lose any such case if they are on Parole.

On several recent occasions, my Office has received calls from people who have outright disagreed with this, and said "another Lawyer told me that didn't matter." Because I have more than enough License Appeal cases to keep me busy, I have no desire to argue with these callers. I feel obligated to inform them, however, that the Case Law is clear on that point. I also remind them that I offer a "Win" Guarantee, and challenge them to get one from whoever gave them the incorrect advice about being able to win a License Restoration Appeal while still on Probation, or Parole.

As I noted, I have enough License cases booked into the future to keep me busy. Yet I am, after all, in business to make money. I have no reason to send a person and their money to another Law Office to pay for the services I provide. But I will not accept someone's money for something I know to be legally impossible.

And winning back your License while on Probation, except in extraordinarily limited circumstances, is not Legally possible. Parolees will have to wait until after their Parole has ended.

I have read the opinions of the few other Lawyers on this topic, and at least those who have taken the time to write about it clearly understand that being on Probation or Parole precludes winning a License Appeal.

And while I agree that the Michigan Court of Appeals decision (linked above) that upheld this ruling by the Michigan Secretary of State's Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD) is unfair, the Law is now clear, and unfair or not, it is what it is.

And it is what it is because several years ago, a Hearing Officer with the DAAD, the bureau that decides License Restoration Appeals, ruled that if a person is on Probation, or Parole, they cannot prove that any period of abstinence from alcohol is truly voluntary, because a standard condition of Probation or Parole that they not consume alcohol, very often back up with either regular, or at least random testing. The DAAD determined that such a person is "living in a controlled environment."

Continue reading "You Must be Finished With Probation or Parole to Win a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Case" »

As a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Lawyer, a significant part of my job is explaining the License Restoration process to Clients and callers alike. In that regard, I often have to address misconceptions and myths about License Appeals. In this article, I will examine and hopefully dispel the longstanding myth that "you cannot win your License back the first time." To begin, I should point out that not only is that notion dead wrong, but that I make most of my income winning License Restoration Appeals the first time, and I back that up with a Guarantee.

Curiously, I am most often confronted with this misconception by the most unlikely of sources; People who are involved in AA. This is really ironic because, of all the people for whom I could rather easily win a License Appeal the first time, those who are really and truly Sober, and actually sit at the tables, are at front of the class. In fact, the inspiration for this article was a recent meeting with a new Client who had been referred to me and wasn't even aware of this blog. Let's examine her story a bit...

This Client was given a very enthusiastic referral to my Office by someone for whom, I had, as usual, won a License Appeal the first time. She had already seen a few other Lawyers, and figured that I'd just be another of the bunch. Before beginning her quest to get back on the road, she had repeatedly heard from her fellow AA members that everyone gets Denied on a License Appeal their first time around, and that she should just assume she'll have to go back a second time to win.

She said her whole reason for coming to see me was the unqualified and glowing referral to me that she had been provided. While I was flattered, the fact that she had not read any of my Driver's License Restoration articles meant that she had no real insight about the process. Even though she had met with some other Lawyers, the plain fact of the matter is that I have no doubt written more about License Restorations than all these other Lawyers have ever written about everything in their combined careers. Beyond that, I'm quite confident that I have won more License Restoration cases in the last few years than all these Lawyers, combined, have ever handled in their careers. Despite having sat with a few Lawyers who told her that they "did" License Restorations, I was rather sure she had been told nothing useful or worthwhile about what was involved. And as if on cue, at the end of our 3-hour meeting, she told me that, in fact, no one had gone into anything even close to the detail I had.

She was, understandably, a bit skeptical when I told her that I'd win her Appeal the first time around. In fact, she said that she had come prepared to hire me, but also to request that I do the absolute minimum so that we could just get what she expected to be her first and inevitable loss out of the way, thus paving the way for next year's Appeal.

Continue reading "WInning a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeal the First TIme, Every TIme" »

Of all the complaints, excuses, and other remarks of regret that I hear within my Law Practice, the reader probably has no idea how many come from Clients who previously had a Lawyer, who is also a relative or family friend, handle a Criminal, DUI, or Driver's License Restoration case. This is always within the context of the person explaining an outcome that was disappointing. This is usually followed by an explanation that the Lawyer relative or family friend wasn't "really" a Criminal Attorney or DUI Lawyer, or otherwise said they could "do" a License Appeal.

And if that's not enough, way too many of these people either try to make themselves feel better by telling me they got a real "break" on the Fees, or they express further regret because they not only didn't get any kind of "break" on the Fees, but were instead "taken to the cleaners" by paying way too much for a Lawyer who didn't really know what he or she was doing.

I specialize in License Restoration, DUI and Criminal cases. I don't handle Murder or Rape cases, and there are loads of other types of cases that I will not accept. I only take on the kinds of cases that I know how to handle, and which I have handled before. The world would be a much better place if every Lawyer stuck to what they knew. I would never, for example, take on a Divorce case. And when I need Legal services, (in a Civil Lawsuit, for example), I hire a Lawyer who specializes in that field. I certainly have lots of "friends" who are Lawyers, but I know, firsthand, that in the Legal world, while you may not always "get what you pay for," you will NEVER get what you DON'T pay for.

The situation I am describing most often arises when I am speaking with a new Client and I inquire about what appears to be a questionable result in a prior Criminal case. All too often, these people somehow wind up talking to a family member or a friend (or a friend of a friend) who is a Lawyer and who offers to help. As I noted above, these situations often devolve into one of two things:

1. The Lawyer (in this case, usually a relative), offers to help, and means well, and even handles the case for free, or at a very reduced Fee, or
   
2. The Lawyer, (in this scenario, often either a family friend or a friend of a friend) after being contacted, agrees to accept the case.

In the first situation, it is just luck, pure and simple, if the person in need of a Lawyer for a DUI, Criminal or License Appeal case happens to be related to a Lawyer who specializes in this field. Instead, Uncle Phil or Cousin Lisa all-too-often turns out to be some kind of General Practitioner, or a Lawyer who handles Divorces, or some field other than DUI or Criminal matters.

Continue reading "Why Everyone Should Avoid Using a Relative or Family Friend as a Lawyer for a Michigan DUI, Criminal, or Driver's License Restoration Case" »

A significant, if not majority portion of my Driver's License Restoration Practice involves Representing people who have previously tried a License Appeal (without me as their Lawyer) and lost. These Clients necessarily fall into one of two categories:

1. Those who hired some Lawyer who claimed they could "do" a License Appeal, and
   
2. Those who figured they could do it on their own.

In some of my previous blog articles, I have explained that these people make the best, or "easiest" Clients a License Restoration Lawyer, like me, can have. They show up, eager to pay and ready to follow instructions. Whatever beliefs they may have had about the License Restoration process, and however much they previously thought that they knew enough to win, they have been humbled by the depth and scope of the process, and know that, in order to do it right, they need expert guidance. In this article, we'll shift focus to a few of the most common reasons for that kind of lost License Appeal.

From my point of view, beyond simply offering guidance, I offer a Guarantee that if I don't win any Appeal I undertake the first time, I will continue to represent my Client before the Secretary of State's DAAD (Driver Assessment and Appeal Division) until they get their License back. This means that although a person may have lost without me, I want to make sure, and will guarantee, that they'll win with me.

Despite the almost unlimited possible ways someone can lose a License Appeal, most that I see are for what is considered a "Questionable/Insufficient Substance Abuse Evaluation." As we shall see, however, this one simple category encompasses a rather wide panorama of problems.

I have also pointed out in some of my prior articles that way too few Substance Abuse Counselors actually know how to complete, or "do" a DAAD Substance Abuse Evaluation. This is not really the fault of those Evaluators, but that lack of blame is cold comfort for anyone whose efforts to get back on the road are rejected.

Continue reading "Common Reasons why Many FIrst Time Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeals Lose" »

Handling Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeals is the basis of my Practice. In that regard, I have gone to great lengths (some might say "overboard") within this blog and on my website to provide as much insight and information about the various steps in the License Appeal Process as I can. Recently, I capped off a 7-part series about License Appeals. Yet as I look back, I found that I came up a bit short in explaining what happens after a person wins. I never explained what kind of License or relief a person gets when they win their case. Anyone who has explored the Driver's License Restoration section of this blog knows my articles are generally rather long; this one will be comparatively short.

In the spirit of trying to answer those questions that I am most frequently asked, this article will look at what kind or "type" of License a person will get after a successful License Appeal, and how that differs if a person still lives in Michigan, or has a Michigan "hold" on their Driving Record and now lives out-of-state.

Not to begin this article by sounding cocky, or over-confident, but I have an across-the-board win rate of over 98% in my License Appeals, and this allows me to GUARANTEE that I will win any case I accept. If, for some reason, I do not, then I will continue to represent my Client in all subsequent DAAD Hearings without further Fee. Fortunately, I have rarely ever had to go back a second time, and have NEVER had to go back a third. Thus, when I accept a case, we speak of what will happen after we win, not if we win.

First, it is necessary to understand that the "kind" of License Appeal a person files dictates what kind of relief they can get. If a person lives in Michigan, then they file for Restoration of Driving privileges. If they no longer reside in Michigan, they file for what is called a "Clearance" of the Michigan hold on their driving Record. This will allow them to get a "full" License in their home state.

Thus, anyone who now lives outside of Michigan essentially wins a "full" License after a successful License Appeal.

Michigan residents seeking Restoration of their Driving privileges after a Revocation for multiple DUI convictions can only win a Restricted License, and must drive with an ignition interlock, a kind of ignition-breathalyzer unit, for at least the first year.

In terms of what is filed, whether a person lives in Michigan or not, the Appeal is identical. The same documentation must be filed, and the same proofs must be made. The Hearing is also identical.

I am asked all the time by my Michigan Clients, "is there some way around this?" Unfortunately there is not. The rules are set in stone. If you live and Michigan, and you win a Driver's License Restoration Appeal, you MUST drive with a Restricted License and an ignition interlock unit for at least the first year.

Continue reading "What kind of License you get when you win a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Appeal" »

Being a Driver's License Restoration Lawyer puts me in a specialty with only a handful, at most, of other Lawyers with a similar Practice concentration. It can, at times, be a bit lonely, in that I simply never find myself exchanging war stories with anyone who does as much of what I do for a living. Recently, I have developed a friendship with another Restoration Lawyer a number of Counties away, but aside from her, there's really no one else with whom I can compare notes.

That's not to say that I don't receive my fair share of inquiries from other Lawyers who find this blog, and my website, and contact me with a question or two. However, in those situations, our experience isn't nearly as lateral as it is vertical.

But I'm not complaining. I get time enough for the normal Professional contact when I'm in the back room of some Courthouse, surrounded by Prosecutors and other Defense Lawyers as I handle a DUI, or some other Criminal case.

Yet this got me to thinking about why being a License Restoration Lawyer is so specialized, and wondering what, if anything, is so different about my membership in this ultra small group, beyond the extensive experience I have handling and winning License Appeals?

The answer, it seemed to me, is that I have a deep and detailed knowledge and understanding of the concepts of addiction, alcoholism, and the whole process of Recovery. This subject, at least for me, has been a field of study in which I have engaged for nearly 20 years.

When we look at those Attorneys who are Patent Lawyers, we find that the vast majority of them have engineering, or similar backgrounds. There probably isn't a Patent Lawyer out there, or certainly not many, who earned their College Degree in English, or Sociology. They have to know the mechanical workings of the things they are trying to Patent, and an engineering, or similar background (like chemistry for someone Patenting drugs) is more or less a basic, foundational requirement to work in that field. In a very real way, they have to understand how the Law applies to a whole other discipline.

For the same reason, Tax Lawyers have backgrounds in Taxation.

At the heart of any License Appeal lie the issues of alcoholism (and/or addiction) and Recovery. It is one thing to understand that those issues are present, and quite another to understand them in depth. In other words, just like Patent Law, being a good License Restoration Lawyer means applying the Law to a whole other discipline.

Continue reading "Why Being a Michigan Driver's License Restoration Lawyer is so Specialized" »

This article will admittedly be a bit sarcastic. As part of my DUI Practice, I'm in Court almost every day in Macomb, Oakland and/or Wayne County. I sit shoulder to shoulder with many conscientious Lawyers fighting hard to reduce the consequences of a lapse in judgment that results in a person being Arrested for Drunk Driving. We compare notes and exchange information. No one laughs these cases off and talks of having it dismissed like some speeding Ticket where the cop doesn't show.

No one, at least, except those trying to sell that very idea. And those operations are making a lot of money at it.

Time and time again, I meet with a new Client, often for a 2nd Offense DUI, who is a bit concerned and reticent about the whole DUI Lawyer thing because, they admit, they spent $5000, or $10,000, or even more on the Lawyer who handled their 1st Offense DUI and sold them the "we'll beat this thing..." bill of goods.

Am I a bit jealous of the huge income these slicksters make in this racket? Absolutely. Would I ever do such a thing just to make money? Absolutely NOT.

The truth is, I think I'm as good a writer, if not significantly better, than anyone behind those operations. If I wanted to, I could devote my efforts to crafting the most convincing-sounding blogs and web pages around, and stand back and cash in by selling the notion that if you really try, you can beat almost any DUI. But I won't do that, because it's wrong.

Which is not to say that beating a DUI is impossible. Far from it. I knock out a DUI anytime I have a case where it can be done. It's just that, statistically speaking, it's unlikely, at least in most cases.

To prove my point, I "googled" the phrase "cure cancer." Sure enough, there are plenty of smooth operators out there with all kinds of products you can buy for just that purpose. From vitamin cocktails to holistic lifestyle overhauls, if you're willing to spend big money on a long-shot hope, there is someone out there willing to cash in.

The analogy doesn't end there. If you think about it for a moment, this means that all those hard-working Doctors treating cancer patients are either deliberately ignoring the vitamin-cocktail cure for cancer thing, or they're just plain stupid. Instead, the inquiring mind is asked to believe that it is this handful of snake-oil salesman who really have the answer, not the medical community at large.

Do you really believe that?

Unfortunately, enough people do to keep these vitamin-cocktail operations in business.

The same holds true in the field of DUI defense.

Continue reading "How to Beat a Detroit-Area (Michigan) DUI and Cure Cancer at the Same Time" »

In the previous Driver's License Restoration blog article, we reviewed how and why Sobriety is a first and necessary requirement in a License Restoration Appeal. Within the world of License Restorations, the terms "Sobriety" and "Abstinence" are used rather frequently. However, within the Rules governing License Appeals, the term "Sobriety" is not used; instead, the applicable Law refers only to "Abstinence."

Yet mere Abstinence is not enough to win a License Appeal. A person must not only be Abstinent, they must be Sober, as well.

This article will examine how these two terms are related, and the important way in which they differ. It is rather likely that the reader who is really "Sober" already understands the difference quite well, and this piece will do little more than vainly demonstrate to them that I do, also. For the reader who is curious about the key difference between the terms "Abstinence" and "Sobriety," they will either find that they their Abstinence includes Sobriety, or they will find that they are coming up short on the most important component of a Driver's License Appeal.

As a Driver's License Restoration Lawyer, I must make sure any License candidate I Represent is both Abstinent, and Sober. When my Staff takes a License Appeal call, one of the very first questions they will ask is when the caller last consumed alcohol. While the answer to that question does not really address the issue of Sobriety, a person will need to have been alcohol-free, generally speaking, for a minimum of 1 year, and have been off of Probation or Parole for at LEAST 3 or 4 months in order to file a License Appeal.

Abstinence means just that: abstaining from the use of alcohol. Sobriety, on the other hand, necessarily involves being Abstinent, but also means that a person plans on remaining that way for life. As I explained in the preceding article, there is no room in the concept of "Sobriety" for having the occasional glass of wine, sip of champagne, or bottle of beer. When a person makes the decision to get "Sober," it means completely eliminating alcohol from their life. It means, as the AA people say, avoiding "wet faces and wet places." It means ditching the drinking associates (anyone who gets Sober soon realizes that these "drinking friends" weren't ever real friends, anyway), not going to places or events where the primary focus or purpose is drinking, and otherwise establishing and maintaining a "Sober Lifestyle."

As much as Sobriety involves the complete abstinence from alcohol (and any and all mind or mood-altering substances), it is also a state of mind. Sobriety, for the person in Recovery, brings a boatload of benefits.

Continue reading "Michigan License Appeals and Restoration - Why Being Abstinent from alcohol is not Enough" »