The defense is much narrower than simply having a compelling reason to drive. Fear, inconvenience, being stranded, or even a serious argument will not necessarily be enough. The threat must be sufficiently serious and immediate, the defendant must actually have feared death or serious bodily harm, and the decision to drive must have been made because of that threat.
For more than three decades, federal law contained a procedure allowing some prohibited persons to seek restoration of their firearm rights, but the administrative process was effectively unavailable. That is now changing. On August 20, 2026, the Department of Justice published a final rule creating a functioning process for federal firearm rights restoration under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) and new 28 C.F.R. Part 107.
The development is important for people with old felony convictions, but the new program is considerably broader and more complicated than a simple process for restoring the rights of people convicted of nonviolent felonies. The rule establishes detailed presumptions, extensive evidentiary requirements, and an individualized review focused on whether an applicant is likely to pose a danger to public safety and whether restoration would be contrary to the public interest.
Retrograde extrapolation is the process of estimating a driver’s earlier blood alcohol concentration from a later test. In DUI and Michigan OWI cases, the calculation can appear precise, but its reliability depends on facts that are often missing.
The disconnect defense in a Michigan OWI case applies when the chemical test result does not match the defendant’s observable behavior. If a breath or blood test reports a high BAC but the officer’s observations, police video, driving evidence, and field sobriety performance show little or no meaningful impairment, that inconsistency may create reasonable doubt.
The disconnect defense does not prove that the driver was sober. It asks a more precise trial question: does the chemical result fit the person the officer actually observed?
People now ask ChatGPT and Claude everything, including what to do after an arrest, whether the police can prove a case, and how to explain suspicious facts. If you have been accused of a crime, that can be a serious mistake. A recent federal court opinion shows why people should be very cautious before typing case facts, strategy, timelines, or explanations into a consumer AI platform.
A recent opinion from the Southern District of New York, United States v. Heppner, addressed whether a criminal defendant’s communications with the AI platform Claude were protected by the attorney-client privilege or the work-product doctrine. On the facts before it, the court said no. The Harvard Law Review’s discussion of the decision is worth reading, and helped inspire this article.
The practical lesson is straightforward. AI is not your lawyer. A public AI platform is not the same thing as a confidential legal channel. If you are under investigation, worried about charges, or already facing prosecution, you should assume that discussing your case with AI can create risks your lawyer would rather have avoided.
Michigan’s Health Professional Recovery Program, known as HPRP, is a monitoring program that HPRP Michigan healthcare professionals encounter most often after a criminal charge raises the question of an underlying substance use or mental health disorder. It is described as voluntary and non-disciplinary. In practice it functions more like a condition of continued licensure, and the Monitoring Agreement it requires is a notarized legal document that can govern every aspect of a practitioner’s professional and personal life for years. In practice, it functions more like a condition of continued licensure, and the Monitoring Agreement it requires is a notarized legal document that can govern every aspect of a practitioner’s professional and personal life for years.
The decision to enter HPRP, and when to enter, is among the most consequential decisions a Michigan healthcare professional can make after an alcohol or drug-related charge. It should never be made without coordination between a criminal defense attorney and a healthcare licensing attorney.
Has Your Michigan Driver License Been Revoked? This article will explain the process for getting it back.
Key Points:
When you’re arrested for a DUI in Michigan, the arresting officer will take your driver’s license and destroy it. This plastic license will be replaced with a temporary permit or a paper license, depending on the circumstances of your arrest. This paper license differs from your regular driver’s license as it lacks your photo but still permits unlimited driving.
The police and your attorney will refer to this paper license as a “DI-177.” The title of it is Breath Blood or Urine Report. This is a Michigan Temporary Driving Permit acts as your temporary driver’s license until you’re either convicted of the OWI or your case gets dismissed.
This paper license is only issued if you consented to a test allowing law enforcement to measure your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) during your arrest. This does not include the roadside test, only the test back at the station.
Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog