Drunk - Drug Driving Offenses

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Drunk Driving Attorney

If you have been arrested for driving drunk (OWI), you already know the severity of your circumstances. You are worried about losing your license, losing career opportunities, and jail time. A drunk driving arrest is serious and your future is at stake. When you need skilled OWI (Operating While Impaired) defense, count on Bruce Alan Block. With over fifteen years of experience, our attorney offers skilled representation in serious legal matters.

Contact our Grand Rapids, Michigan, drunk driving defense attorney for a free initial consultation. Call (616) 458-8585. If you are a parent looking for a lawyer for a son or daughter, our law firm wants you to know that we handle these cases with care. We understand what is at stake, and our client-focused advocacy is proof of that.

There is a Lesser Offense

People may wonder how legal representation can help ease the consequences related to a drunk driving (DUI/OWI) offense. The prosecution is tough on drunk driving allegations, and offenders are often cut very little slack. However, effective legal representation can challenge that drunk driving arrest, and the consequences can be minimized. Impaired driving, reckless, or careless driving charges can reduce points on your license, cut fines in half, reduce the first 30 days of driver's license suspension, and allow your driver's license to be reinstated sooner. A lesser charge can also reduce Michigan's "bad driver tax" (a/k/a Driver's Responsibility Fee).

A drunk driving arrest can be challenged, and our criminal defense attorney knows the details that are important to provide clients with thorough representation.

  • Was the traffic stop valid? 
  • Were the field sobriety tests administered correctly?

Our drunk driving defense attorney has over 15 years experience representing clients and challenging drunk driving charges. When the prosecution has all the resources of the state and its police officers on its side, count on Bruce Alan Block to be on your side.

Drug or Drugged Driving (OWID)

Driving under the influence of illegal drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etcetera, have the exact same penalties as drunk driving.  Unlike drunk driving, there is no minimum or legal limit. The standard test is a urine test. Like an alcohol test, by driving you are deemed to have given permission for a test of your breath, urine, or blood (a/k/a 'implied consent'). If you refuse this test, the police officer can seek a search warrant and obtain it against your permission (and the Secretary of State will try to suspend your license for a year and add 6 points).

This is a strict liability law -- if you have any amount of illegal drugs in your body, you are just as liable under the drugged driving statute as though you were stone cold drunk. The Michigan Supreme Court in 2006 in a much criticized decision, upheld a 'drugged driving' conviction where the driver admitted to smoking one marijuana cigarette four hours earlier (see our Medical Marijuana page for information on this case). Since marijuana can linger in your body for 30 days, this law seems overbroad and the penalties severe. 

if you have illegal drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, LSD, marijuana (THC) in your system you can be arrested and charged with 'driving under the influence of drugs' (OWID) which has the exact same penalties as drunk driving (OWI) including license suspension, 6 points on your license, a criminal record, the $2,000 "bad driver" tax, etcetera.

Contact our West Michigan drug driving defense attorney for a free initial consultation. Call (616) 458-8585.


Free initial consultation. Evening and weekend appointments available.

Located on the corner of Cascade Rd. and Kenmoor Ave., just east of Interstate I-96, six miles from the Kent County Courthouse.

Bruce Alan Block, PLC represents clients in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and West Michigan communities of Ada, East Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Cascade, Wyoming, Byron Center, Wyoming, Caledonia, Cascade, Rockford, Holland, Grand Haven, Grandville, Kent County, Ottawa County, Muskegon County, Barry County, Ionia County, Newaygo, Montcalm, and Allegan County.

We represent students from Calvin College, Aquinas, Grand Valley State, Cornerstone, Grand Rapids Community College, and Michigan State University.

    
  


Bruce Alan Block, PLC

Attorney and Counselor at Law
4251 Cascade Road SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Phone: (616) 458-8585
Fax: (616) 454-0849

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