Michigan Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) Defense Attorneys

In Michigan, drunk driving arrests are scary. Not only do most people spend the night in jail, but they must also face prosecutors and the judge in court. For people who have never before been through the criminal justice system as a defendant, this process can be intimidating, emotional, and traumatic. We will defend our clients against OWI in Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Oakland County, and throughout Michigan’s lower peninsula.

Michigan OWI Defense Attorneys

Though people often refer to drunk driving offenses as DUIs or OUIs, the main drunk driving crime in Michigan is called Operating While Intoxicated (OWI). These are just different names for the same criminal allegations, which include operating a vehicle in a public area while intoxicated. Intoxication can be proven by the driver having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or above or driving in an unreasonable/unsafe manner as a result of the alcohol or drugs consumed. There are different ways that the police measure the BAC of a driver. These include use of a DataMaster machine (which is sometimes incorrectly called a Breath-a-lyzer) and/or a blood test.

Many people ask us, “What are the punishments for drunk driving in Michigan?” The maximum potential punishments vary depending on whether this is a person’s first or subsequent OWI conviction. They also depend on whether the driver caused the injury or death of another person. In Michigan, a first OWI offense will be charged as a misdemeanor. The same is true for a second OWI within 7 years. However, third and subsequent OWIs may be charged as felonies.

Your Michigan DUI lawyers

The drunk driving attorneys at The Kronzek Firm PLC have been fighting OWI charges in Michigan for many, many years. We know what it takes to aggressively fight and challenge these cases in court. We will go through the police officers’ conduct with a fine-toothed comb looking for any errors. If we are able to find such an error, we may be able to get some of their evidence suppressed in court, which can sometimes lead to a dismissal of the case against our client. Extensive training in drunk driving defense is key for our firm. Our attorneys have handled hundreds of drunk driving cases in Michigan. The right attorney really is critical. There are too many attorneys that recommend their clients put in a plea before even determining if the case can be won in court. That doesn’t happen in our firm. Our team fights to win.