DUI News Blog The Latest DUI News and Information From DUI Defense Attorneys Across the Country

2014 Public Act 402 was signed by Governor Snyder on December 27, 2014, and began being enforced earlier this year, with an effective date of March 31, 2015.  Many prior attempts were made to lower the legal limit applicable to watercraft, and this new law appears to be the result of a compromise reached by Congress during last year’s lame duck session. According to Michigan DUI Lawyer Patrick Barone, the new law may actually make our waterways more dangerous, and this ... Read More »

At the end of last year Michigan’s law makers presented a bill to Governor Synder which, among other things, made it unlawful to refuse not just the preliminary breath test (PBT), but also, the alphabet or walk and turn test as well.  This is because both fell under the aegis of the phrase “preliminary roadside analysis.”[i]  Specifically, PA 315 removed the phrase “preliminary breath test” and replaced it with the new phrase “preliminary roadside analysis.” According to the Act, the ... Read More »

There has been quite a buzz around Michigan lately as the press is waking up to the fact that Michigan’s Legislators blew it last year when they amended the State’s drunk driving laws. Last October Michigan Public Act 315 was signed into law.  This new law, which became effective on January 12, 2015, makes all field sobriety tests inadmissible during the trial of an allegedly intoxicated driver. The law was drafted as part of compromise between those who wanted roadside ... Read More »

It must be well known by now that in August of 2007 Michigan’s most famous, Mr. Geoffrey Feiger, was indicted on a ten-count complaint, alleging various manners and forms of violation of the Federal Campaign Act.  Feiger retained Gerry Spence to represent him, who later indicated Feiger’s would be his last trial.  On June 2, 2008 the jury acquitted Feiger on all 10 counts. In this fascinating video Feiger and Spence talk about the case with attendees/students of the Gerry ... Read More »

Super Bowl Sunday is known to be one of the biggest drinking nights of the year.  Many people attending Super Bowl parties will start drinking early in the day.  If you plan on celebrating the win or even the loss of your favorite team, here are some of the myths to keep in mind about drinking and driving.  Knowing about them might help you avoid starting the year with a drunken driving arrest. “Don’t kid yourself,” said Birmingham, Michigan-based DUI ... Read More »

According to American Bar Association Formal Opinion 466, issued April 24, 2014, trial lawyers may review the social media sites of jurors selected for jury service in their trials.  This might be done for two reasons; first to determine if a juror is a good candidate for a particular trial, and second, to determine if a juror has, during the trial, violated an order of the court by posting anything inappropriate about the trial. The ABA opinion decided to tackle ... Read More »

Exclusively handling Michigan DUI defense cases, the Barone Defense Firm announced recently that it will begin accepting credit card payments via the iPhone’s Apple Pay system.  “It’s an easy way to make credit payments with the added advantage that it’s highly secure,” said Patrick Barone, the Firm’s founding and principal attorney. Apple Pay rolled out Monday, and according to Forbes, so far it’s has been a great success.  Their article indicates: “so in two days, Apple Pay worked nearly everywhere ... Read More »

If Governor Snyder signs House Enrolled Bill 5385, as expected, it will become unlawful in Michigan to refuse to submit to any sort of preliminary roadside analysis, including field sobriety testing.  The bill was presented to the Governor on October 7, 2014. As of the date of this writing, Michigan law provides that a police officer may require a driver  to submit to a preliminary chemical breath analysis if the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person was ... Read More »

A person convicted of drunk driving in Michigan will be ordered to pay both fines and costs as part of his/her punishment. The maximum fine is set by law; for example, a first offense drunk driving has a maximum fine of $500.00.  The same is not true however of the maximum costs that a Michigan drunk driver might be ordered to pay. Costs in drunk driving cases can vary considerably from court to court, and even from judge to judge ... Read More »

With the advent of the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington increased attention is being paid to the issue of stoned driving.  While it remains illegal to drive while stoned in every state in the union, including Michigan, clear scientific proof that stoned driving is dangerous remains elusive. This is because there are studies on both sides of the issue.  Some seem to show that mixing pot and driving is a dangerous combination, while others seem to show no ... Read More »