Michigan DUI Penalities

The penalties in Michigan for a DUI will depend on if you are a first, second or third offender.

For a first offense drunk driving the penalties imposed by the court vary considerably from court to court.  Judges in some courts impose mandatory jail time for even first time offenses, and I have seen sentences of up to 45 days even for people with NO CRIMINAL RECORD!

The law in Michigan says that a judge can give you up to 93 days, and many judges give no jail time at all.  Your best bet is to hire the best lawyer you can afford because he or she will be able to get you the best possible sentence.

For a second offense drunk driving there is a mandatory 5 days in jail.  However, as an alternative the judge can order a lot of community service.  I have seen sentences in the area of as much as 90 days for a first offense, and in rare instances, I’ve seen people go to jail for the full year!

For a third offense felony drunk driving there is a mandatory 30 days in jail.  This is very difficult to work around, and if you’re convicted of a third offense then there’s a really good chance you’ll be spending at least 30 days in jail.  Most judges give between 30-90 days, and some as much as 6 months.  The maximum amount of jail time is 5 years (unless it is a habitual offense and charged that way).  Yes, I’ve seen much higher sentences for felony drunk driving as well.

The thing about sentencing is that judges have wide latitude in the range of sentencing.  Like anything else in Michigan drunk driving your interests will be best protected by a specialist.

Please call me today so that I can discuss how I can put my expertise to work for you to get the best possible sentence.