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As Michigan’s drunk driving laws have continued to evolve, the range and type of punishment upon conviction has continued to increase over time. In the 70s when DUI laws were just beginning to be taken more seriously by drivers, police, prosecutors, and judges alike, punishment was usually limited to a fine and points on the offender’s driving record.

In the 80s, the DUI laws of the 70s were being amended, and these amendments almost always included some new or increased penalty. Jail time began to be considered for repeat offenders and in those cases involving serious injury or death. Fines and costs began to increase, and a variety of driver license sanctions such as restricted driving and a suspension of driving privileges.

The 1990s ushered in a whole new slew of increasingly draconian DUI laws, and the current incarnation of Michigan’s DUI laws dates back to 1999. It was at this time that the definition of DUI changed in Michigan as well. Previously, an offender could be charged with OUIL, UBAL or both. Charges were frequently reduced to reckless driving or “OWI,” which prior to 1999 meant “operating while visibly impaired.”

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Over the years of defending “criminals” I have encountered many honest citizens who have made a simple mistake and now find themselves facing felony charges, prison time, the loss of career, and the loss of their 2nd Amendment rights, simply by making a mistake in understanding how they should transport a firearm.  Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is not a defense.  The price of education once in the legal system can be steep.  To avoid this fate, this article seeks to clarify the frustrating and contradicting laws regarding how to transport firearms.

Oftentimes, my clients are pulled over for a simple speeding ticket.  After the cop gets their license, registration, and proof of insurance, they are on their way to a warning or simple fine.  However, as a throw away question, the officer asks if they have any drugs or guns in the car.  Honest and law-abiding citizens are more than happy to tell the cop that they have a pistol unloaded in the case on the back seat or separated from the ammunition and placed in the glovebox.

The simple traffic stop instantly becomes a full-on investigation as the officers then begin asking questions designed to elicit admissions.  Since people with Concealed Pistol Licenses (CPL) have an affirmative duty to report the CPL and that they are carrying, the lack of that initial statement from an honest person tells the cop that there is no CPL.  This makes the act a felony and soon an arrest and a night or more in jail await someone who thought they were transporting a pistol safely.

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Michigan drivers arrested under suspicion of intoxicated driving will have their bodily drug and alcohol levels tested by the police. When drugs including marijuana are suspected, a police officer will see if that distinct marijuana smell is present. Many OWI lawyers near  me wrongly believe that DUI cases involving blood tests can’t be defended. The Michigan DUI lawyers at the Barone Defense Firm alcohol, the police will take and test a blood sample. The forensic method used for blood testing is considerably more complicated. Our law firm however believe that in some ways blood test cases are easier to defend. This belief is born out of a comprehensive knowledge about this complex scientific method.

To help other lawyers understand forensic blood testing in DUI cases, the Michigan Association of OWI Attorneys (MIAOWIA) periodically presents seminars on this topic. Barone Defense Firm founding criminal defense attorney near me Patrick Barone, and Partner Michael Boyle, were both closely involved in the creation of MIAOWIA, and Mr. Boyle currently serves as an officer to the group.

As an example of Mr. Boyle’s expertise as well as his commitment to helping other lawyers get better at defending Michigan DUI cases involving blood test evidence, in early October 2021, he served as a host, moderator, and presenter for the Michigan Association of OWI Seminar on Blood Alcohol.  Mr. Boyle is an original member of MIAOWIA, which is membership dedicated to the education and training of attorneys throughout the State of Michigan in the complex litigation and representation of individuals charged with Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs.

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The Barone Defense Firm is pleased to announce that the firm’s founding partner and CEO Patrick Barone was recently appointed to the NCDD mental health task force. The committee was formed in 2021 to provide a confidential resource for any NCDD member feeling overwhelmed with the rigors of running a law practice or the pressure and stress of being criminal defense trial attorney.

Whether it be learning how to better accommodate clients who are going through what may be the most stressful event of their lives, or dealing with difficult and demanding prosecutors or courts, practicing as a criminal defense trial lawyer is an exceptionally difficult and stressful endeavor. It’s easy for the practitioner to become overwhelmed too. This is especially when practicing as a DUI defense lawyer. The defense of intoxicated drivers has its own unique demands and stresses, and the NCDD mental health task force was formed to help members deal with these stresses. Additionally, the task force will be available to offer consultation on how best to help anxious and stressed clients, including those who may be in need of treatment.

Mr. Barone brings a unique skill set to the NCDD mental health task force as he has recently completed the requirements necessary to become a Board-Certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner (TEP) of psychodrama. Nationally, there are only a small handful of trial lawyers who possess this highest level of psychodrama certification thereby earning this distinction.

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Yes, a DUI Michigan can be expunged (set aside). If your DUI case is not expunged, it will stay on your criminal record for life. This is true of all DUI convictions, and this means your prior criminal history can be seen by potential employers. For many people, this is one of the most serious DUI penalties. Once your record is expunged, your past DUI charges will be removed from many public records.

Stipulations do exist when looking at getting your drunk driving conviction removed from your criminal record:

  • You can only have one OWI expunged in your lifetime
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Americans value their privacy. It is considered a right. Americans especially value the right to privacy from government intrusions. The Constitution’s 4th Amendment requires probable cause for a warrant to search or seize a person’s belongings. This is also where we find our right to privacy.

Does the Right to Privacy Apply to Private Cell Phone Companies?

This Constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures applies to governmental actions. But what about the actions of private companies? Can private companies search our stuff?

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A Michigan implied consent hearing is an informal hearing where the officer that arrested you for drunk driving provides testimony to prove that you unreasonably refused a breath blood or urine test. Before we move on with a further discussion of the hearing, let’s review the concept of implied consent, and how it applies in a Michigan drunk driving case.

The Legal Fiction of Implied Consent

Both the Michigan and the United States Constitutions provide that the police can’t search you, your home or your car without a warrant. Thus, before the police may proceed with a search of your breath, blood or urine, they must first obtain a warrant. However, there are many exceptions to this warrant requirement and consent is one of them.  This is where the legal fiction of implied consent comes into play.

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Police in Michigan continue to use unreliable chemical and field sobriety tests when investigating drivers suspected of using cannabis. This can lead to sober cannabis users being wrongfully convicted of intoxicated driving. This is because the tools used for decades to investigate drunk driving cases simply do not translate well to the investigation of drivers believed to be under the influence of marijuana.

These conclusions are drawn from a 2020 research study conducted by the National Institute of Justice. This federally funded research study resulted in the production of a final written overview which was subsequently submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. The title of the overview is Differences in Cannabis Impairment and its Measurement Due to Route of Administration. (Hereafter “NIJ Study”).

What did the NIJ Study Conclude?

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To complete an investigation and, ultimately, file charges for child pornography, law enforcement will almost always attempt to seize and search the electronic devices they believe could contain illegal material. The way police gain access to these devices can be an important issue in child pornography cases (called Child Sexually Abusive Material in Michigan). There are three categories in which police can seize electronic devices to search for evidence of a crime: with consent, with a warrant, without a warrant or consent.

Consent

The easiest way for police to get access to phones and computers in a child pornography investigation is to get consent from the person they’re investigating. If police come to your home and ask to see your electronic devices without a warrant, you should respectfully decline and call the Michigan sex crimes lawyers at the Barone Defense Firm immediately.

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Charges for criminal sexual conduct cases, more commonly called sex crimes or sexual assault, are often based only on the memories of the complaining witness. This is especially true for sexual assault that allegedly took place when the adult victim was a child.  In these sex crimes cases there is no physical evidence, and the guilt of the accused rests entirely on the veracity of the witness’s statements and testimony. The problem is that the allegations of criminal sexual conduct can be based on totally false memories.

A new article written by an international team of researchers suggests that false memories can be reversed.  According to the article, false memories cause many problems, not the least of which is false criminal allegations.  The existence of false memories has been shown by many prior studies, and the contribution of this new study is that with the right kind of interviewing false memories can be supplanted by true memories.

To understand how this would all play out in a Michigan sex crimes case, the investigation of a sex crime usually begins with a report made to a police department.  The initial report will inevitably be based on a recollection of past events, in this case some kind of sexual trauma or abuse. The case might then be assigned to a detective, who is likely to seek a second interview of the complaining witness, a/k/a victim. Depending on the age of the complaining witness, a forensic interview may follow.

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