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Thursday, March 17, 2011
By Michael Nichols
On one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year, there are a few things to consider prior to consuming your favorite green beverages. According to the Michigan State Police, last year on St. Patrick’s Day, alone, 101 motorists were arrested for Operating While Intoxicated in the State of Michigan, with more than 25% of those 101 motorists arrested for a BAC of .17 or higher. If you assume that all 101 motorists were able to receive a reduced charge such as Impaired Driving, that would equal $1,000 per driver for Driver Responsibility fees to the Secretary of State (or $101,000 in profits for the State of Michigan) just for that one day, alone. In the alternative, if all 101 motorists were unable to receive reduced charges and the ending result was an Operating While Intoxicated, each motorist would be responsible for $2,000 in Driver Responsibility fees to the Secretary of State (or $202,000 in profits for the State of Michigan). That is a lot of money for the State of Michigan. Therefore, you should know that the police will be on the lookout for drunk drivers on St. Patrick’s Day. It is a huge money making day for the State of Michigan. Once you have added in all the additional court costs ranging from $900 to $1500 for each conviction of Operating While Intoxicated or Operating While Visibly Impaired, the revenue in which Michigan makes surpasses a quarter of a million dollars. Another thing to consider on this St. Patrick’s Day is the addition of the Super Drunk law to OWI offenses in Michigan. Motorists with a BAC of .17 or higher will be responsible for heftier fines, longer jail time, and suspended driver’s license, intense rehabilitation ordered, and the installation of an ignition interlock system into their vehicles. So remember, the best way to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day at the bars is to designate a driver and avoid spending the day behind them. If for some unfortunate reason you are arrested for Drunk Driving, please feel free to call Wendy Schiller-Nichols or The Nichols Law Firm, PLLC at 517-432-9000. Ms. Schiller-Nichols can also be reached on her cell phone at 517-256-6961 in the event you are faced with a challenging situation.