The majority of Michigan OWI's fall into the misdemeanor category. However, your case could be classified as a Michigan OWI felony if this is the third offense in your lifetime, regardless of how many years have passed since your previous arrests. Even if this is not a third offense, If your Michigan OWI involves an allegation of serious bodily injury or death, you can also be charged with Michigan OWI felony.
A Michigan OWI felony charge is likely the most serious event of your entire life. An experienced and qualified Michigan OWI attorney can help you confront these serious allegations. Even if this is not your third Michigan OWI offense, if there are aggravating factors (such as Child Endangerment), you can also be charged with a Michigan OWI felony.
The main factor that differentiates a Michigan OWI felony is the potential period of incarceration. A Michigan OWI felony conviction allows a judge to sentence a defendant to between one and five years in a Michigan prison. In contrast, a Michigan OWI misdemeanor conviction allows for a maximum one year period of incarceration in a Michigan county jail.
If a Michigan felony OWI involved a death or serious injury you can be sentenced up to 15 years in a Michigan prison. Additionally, the court fines and costs for Michigan OWI felony are significantly higher than for Michigan OWI misdemeanor. When all tallied, your court fines and costs can add up to thousands of dollars. You can also be ordered to perform up to two full months of community service. Your driver's license can be lifetime suspended and the judge can order your car to be forfeited.
Seeking future employment with a felony conviction on your record can make landing a job difficult or impossible. In Michigan, convicted felons are prevented from owning a gun or voting. A Michigan landlord has the right to refuse rental to a felon.
A Michigan OWI felony charge needs to be taken seriously from the very beginning. It is critical that your Michigan OWI defense attorney takes an aggressive course from the start. A Michigan OWI defense has numerous technical aspects to it. Your attorney must be qualified and experienced in attacking your case. For instance, there may be issues surrounding your previous convictions that can cause them to be excluded from consideration during your current case, and could possibly result in a reduction of charges. Your Michigan OWI defense attorney should be experienced at analyzing and attacking breath, blood or urine tests that were used to establish your alleged blood alcohol content (BAC). A good Michigan OWI defense attorney can help determine if there are flaws in the collection method, the chain of custody or the methodology of testing.
If you have been charged with a Michigan OWI felony you need to take the allegation seriously. Attorney Richard I. Lippitt has the experience and knowledge that is required to confront your case. Mr. Lippitt employs a vast network of scientific and blood experts who can potentially challenge your Michigan OWI felony arrest. Additionally, Mr. Lippitt possesses the legal scholarship necessary to develop potential constitutional challenges of your Michigan OWI arrest.
Michigan OWI defense attorney Richard I. Lippitt is highly skilled and experienced in investigating and challenging the facts and circumstances of Michigan OWI arrests. Mr. Lippitt appears in Michigan courts over 350 times each year in defense of Michigan OWIs.
Attorney Richard I. Lippitt stands ready to provide you with a free, no obligation meeting regarding your Michigan OWI felony arrest. Please call (248) 921-7164 or request a Free Case Evaluation via the form on this page.
