Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

I handle a lot of Driver's License Matters, from Suspended and Revoked License Cases (DWLS/DWLR) to Full Restorations. I have probably seen most every scenario or circumstance under the sun as it relates to Suspended License Charges. In a recent article about Possession of Marijuana, I noted that, for all the differences amongst cases, and despite the fact that every case is unique, there are certain "patterns" that one begins to see after a while.

This article will focus on a pattern that often comes with a DWLS charge: They often come in groups. The title of this article provides some insight, because it does seem like bad things tend to happen in 3's. It's not uncommon for me to get a call from someone who has recently picked up not 1, but 2 (or even more) DWLS charges in a row. Often, their License was suspended for an unpaid Ticket or Tickets, or because they owe Driver Responsibility Fees to the State. It seems, then, like the first bit of bad luck, usually a Ticket, results in 2 more Driving Offenses, all making a sort of "Trifecta" or "Hat Trick" of misery.

More often than not, the person calling me has either 2 upcoming Court dates, or is waiting to be notified about one or the other. Sometimes, however, the person may have failed to take care of one or both matters, and be faced with 2 outstanding Bench Warrants for failure to show up. One way or another, there comes a point when there are 2 (or more) pending Court dates, putting one case in front of the other.

The order of those cases can make a huge difference in how they're worked out. It is generally a good idea to wrap up the case in the more "lenient" Court first. It's harder to get a really good break in your second Court date if you're record has already taken a hit in the first. Whether those Court dates arrive in the better order, or not, is about a 50-50 split.

That does not mean that things are in any way dependent upon the initial order of these Court dates; it means that if they don't get put in the "proper" or better order in the first place, the Defense Lawyer needs to either re-arrange them, or work it out somehow so that the cases are resolved in the best way possible. This, of course, translates to working it out to spare the client any, or as much negative Legal and License impact as possible. Here's what I mean:

Continue reading "Michigan - Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) - Things Happen in 3's" »

My Criminal Practice is made up, in significant part, of driving-related cases, from DUI, to License Restorations, to Traffic Tickets. Perhaps one of the most common Offenses I see is DWLS (Driving While License Suspended). In other Blog articles about DWLS and DWLR, I have discussed various aspects of these cases, from explaining the different terms used to describe this category of Offenses, explaining what happens in Court, to pointing out what the first thing anyone charged with such an offense should do.

In this article, we'll look at those cases where a person is facing two or more DWLS charges almost simultaneously. This happens a lot more frequently than you might imagine. Often, when I receive a call from a person facing multiple DWLS charges, they want to know if I can cut them some kind of "package deal" on the Legal Fees (and yes, I can and do).

Legal Fee "package deals" aside, the real problem is that there are generally no "package deals" available in Court, at least at the outset of these cases.

Perhaps the most common scenario for multiple DWLS charges involves a person who, for whatever reason, has their License Suspended and gets caught driving. Instead of following up on that charge, they let it slip their mind, and all but forget about it.

Until they are pulled over again, and find out that there is an outstanding Bench Warrant for their arrest because they failed to show up in Court for that first DWLS case.

Eventually, the person is released from custody, usually after being required to post a Bond for the first case, and a Bond for the new case, as well. They leave the Police Station with a notice to contact the Court in which their first, unresolved DWLS case is pending, as well as instructions for Appearing in Court on the new charge.

At this point, most people will look for a way to get these cases handled. Some people, however, will repeat this cycle of events any number of times before they get serious about fixing things up. I have been hired to represent people who have done this so many times that the last place they were arrested finally got so fed up with this pattern that they set a Bond too high for the person to post.

Continue reading "Driving While License Suspended - Multiple DWLS Charges in Michigan" »