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Sunday, December 25, 2011
By Michael Nichols
Categories: Michael J. Nichols
Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation to give Michigan residents a lump of coal at Christmas. “The legislation that the governor signed on Christmas Eve reduces the number of judgeships by an estimated 45 at the probate, circuit and district court level according to the Associated Press,” says OWI expert Mike Nichols of East Lansing.
Nichols added, “my concern is that already crowded dockets will put more pressure on parties and attorneys to push through important cases like drunk and drugged driving charges.” There is a law that requires judges to dispose of OWI-OUIL-DUI cases within 77 days from the arraignment. “Sometimes judges adhere to that provision much too strictly even though there is no penalty for a breach or a rationale behind it,” said Nichols. He added: “too often people are pressured to plead guilty or the judge does not have the time to spend on hearing important legal arguments and issues raised in pretrial motions and trials are rushed through to clear up the docket even if several days are needed to search for the truth in a case.”
Mike Nichols is an East Lansing OWI-OUIL-DUI attorney and adjunct law professor of drunk driving and forensic evidence, who focuses his practice on defending people accused of drugged and drunk driving.