In The News

Many people still view that both 4/20 and 4:20 are "code words" when in reality law enforcement officers and others are aware of the date and time significance.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney Mike Nichols secures release of Illinois man charged with conspiracy in drug ring that allegedly distributed over 5.5 million of medical marijuana across the country

Categories: Drug Crimes

An Illinois man is free on an unsecured bond after criminal defense attorney Mike Nichols secured his release in a detention hearing in federal court.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Michigan Court Of Appeals Says Drug Dog Sniffing On Your Porch Is Not A Search

Categories: Drug Crimes

The Michigan Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion involving drug dogs and the fourth amendment.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

DETROIT NEWS COVERS MIKE NICHOLS VICTORY IN DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS CASE - BLOOD TEST NOT RELIABLE SAYS COURT

Categories: Drug Crimes

The Detroit News reports on a ground breaking decision that held that the Michigan State Police lab did not establish the reliability of a blood analysis for marijuana.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

MICHIGAN DUID ATTORNEY MIKE NICHOLS WORKS ON DRUG RECOGNITION EVALUATION KNOWLEDGE AT ANNUAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS/NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR DUI DEFENSE CONFERENCE

Categories: Drug Crimes

"Law enforcement is looking to replace lost funds from the enforcement of alcohol-related drunk driving cases. . ."

Monday, October 8, 2012

MICHIGAN DRUGGED DRIVING ATTORNEY MIKE NICHOLS ASKS: WHO IS MORE DANGEROUS BEHIND THE WHEEL? A PERSON ON THEIR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS OR AN ELDERLY PERSON, WHOSE REFLEXES ARE UNFORTUNATELY TOO DETERIORATED TO DRIVE SAFELY?

Categories: Drug Crimes

In fact, National Public Radio featured coverage of elderly drivers on October 8, asking "when is it time to give up the keys?" Nichols says: "it made me think of all the signs of a driver who is not safe and the fact that the best thing for you to do if you are on prescription medication, from medical marijuana to ambien, is to simply decline to answer the officer's questions about your medications."

Sunday, September 9, 2012

DRIVING WITH THE PRESENCE OF ANY AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA - THE STATE SUPREME COURT SAYS THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW DOES NOT MEAN THAT PATIENTS WILL BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY!

Categories: Drug Crimes

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that when a medical marijuana patient is charged with multiple crimes, the rules of criminal procedure still apply.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

US CONSTITUTION APPLIES TO YOU COLLEGE STUDENTS TOO

Categories: Drug Crimes

Although there are a few search warrant exceptions which
courts have allowed (automobile exception, exigent circumstances,
consent, plain view) being a college student is not one of them.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

NICHOLS LAW FIRM PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE MICHIGAN MEDICAL MARIHUANA ACT (MMMA)

Categories: Drug Crimes

...defendant instead opted to seek protection under section 8 which is available to those who have been recommended to use marihuana by a licensed physician to treat a qualifying condition.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

35 STATES WERE SURVEYED AND MICHIGAN HAS THE LONGEST AVERAGE PERIOD OF INCARCERATION

Categories: Drug Crimes

Last month the Pew Center on the States, a nonprofit division of the Pew Charitable Trusts, released a report which indicated that Michigan has the longest average period of incarceration among the 35 states surveyed.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

EFFORTS TO CONTROL SYNTHETIC CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES K2, SPICE, YUCATAN FIRE, IVORY WAVE, VANILLA SKY, BLISS AND LOL SOLD NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION INTRODUCED UNDER HOUSE BILL

Categories: Drug Crimes

If this bill passes both houses and becomes law, those who use or sell imitation controlled substances would need to stay informed regarding any possible changes to the schedule of controlled substances via director determination

Friday, June 1, 2012

NEW BILL IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WOULD RECLASSIFY MARIHUANA AS A SCHEDULE 2 CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE WHEN SUED BY MEDICAL MARIHUANA PATIENTS

Categories: Drug Crimes

A bill was recently introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives that would reclassify marihuana as a schedule 2 controlled substance if it is used by qualifying individuals as provided in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

WHEN POSSESSION OF MEDIBLES CARRIES GREATER RISK

Categories: Drug Crimes, Medical Marijuana

Medibles are interesting from a legal perspective because they only contain a small percentage of marijuana in comparison to the medibles weight.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

THE SCIENCE OF MARIJUANA IDENTIFICATION AND MEASUREMENT IN THE HUMAN BLOOD

Categories: Drug Crimes, Medical Marijuana

The Court of Appeals has issued an opinion that means that a sick person who is certified to use marijuana to treat nausea, chronic pain or other symptoms, still cannot drive regardless of how long ago the person used marijuana or whether the person is impaired by marijuana, so long as THC is detectable in their bloodstream.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

MICHIGAN OWI-OWID LAWYER MIKE NICHOLS SAYS YOUR USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS NOT A POLICE OFFICER’S BUSINESS AND YOU SHOULD NOT DISCLOSE YOUR STATUS AS A PATIENT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR MEDICINE IN YOUR POSSESSION

Categories: Drug Crimes, Medical Marijuana

“I read the language in the medical marijuana act that only prohibits driving while under the influence OF marijuana as creating an exception; in other words so long as the person is not under the influence of their medicine they can drive.”

Friday, April 6, 2012

DISMISSAL OF 7 MISDEMEANOR CHARGES OBTAINED FOR CLIENT

Categories: Drug Crimes

Karen Phillips secured the dismissal of 7 of 8 misdemeanor charges, including possession of marijuana. . .

Monday, March 12, 2012

DRUG RECOGNITION EVALUATOR-OFFICERS COME TO MICHIGAN

Categories: Drug Crimes

Michigan OWI attorney Mike Nichols ready to challenge junk science

Thursday, January 19, 2012

MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS BEWARE: WATCH WHERE YOU TAKE YOUR MEDICINE OR POLICE WILL CONFISCATE YOUR LAWFULLY-POSSESSED MARIJUANA

Categories: Drug Crimes

The state attorney general has struck again in his efforts to quash the use of medical marijuana in Michigan.The state attorney general has struck again in his efforts to quash the use of medical marijuana in Michigan.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

EAST-LANSING-MARIJUANA-CHARGE-DISMISSED-THANKS-TO-ASSERTIVE-ADVOCACY-BY-MICHIGAN-ALCOHOL-AND-DRUG-EXPERT-ATTORNEY-MIKE-NICHOLS

Categories: Drug Crimes

Monday, May 9, 2011

REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY IN HOTEL ROOMS

Categories: Drug Crimes

Ever stay in a hotel room and the next day when you are supposed to check-out, you sneak a little longer stay that is beyond the check-out time?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Medical Marijuana Club Owner Will Continue to Face Criminal Charges

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drug Crimes

An Ingham-County-Judge-refused-to-dismiss-criminal-charges against the owner of a medical-marijuana club in the Lansing-area, leaving the case pending in the new year.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Synthetic-Marijuana and Other Drugs Outlawed-By-The-Michigan Legislature

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drug Crimes

It is now illegal to possess synthetic marijuana and other chemicals – even though they are not “drugs” per se.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Are tethers a viable option for jail? Mike Nichols weighs in for the Lansing State Journal

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drunk-Driving, OWI, Domestic Violence, Drug Crimes

Michigan-OWI-OUIL-DUI expert Mike Nichols weighs in for the Lansing State Journal

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Case may affect admissibility of blood-alcohol tests

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drug Crimes

A recent article in the Lansing State Journal details a current Nichols Law case that may affect the admissibility of blood-alcohol tests in court. Read the article.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Arrest may clarify medical marijuana law

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drug Crimes

A recent article in the Lansing State Journal describes how a current Nichols Law case could help clarify the medical marijuana law. Read the article.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Lansing-area arrest might clarify medical marijuana law

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drug Crimes

The Nichols Law Firm is involved in a case that might clarify Michigan's medical marijuana law.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME IN MAJOR FEDERAL DRUG CONSPIRACY FOR A NICHOLS LAW FIRM CLIENT

Categories: Drug Crimes

A Nichols Law Firm client no longer faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison thanks to Mike Nichols.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Overview of Michigan’s Drug Forfeiture Statute

Categories: Drug Crimes

When law enforcement officials execute a search warrant pursuant to an investigation of the illegal possession, delivery, or manufacture of controlled substances, this is often times followed with a seizure of property.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Providing a Place to Smoke Medical Marijuana is Risky

Categories: Drug Crimes, Medical Marijuana

One of the more controversial statutes enacted in the recent past is Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act (the statute spells “marijuana” with an “h” as opposed to a “j”). The statute provides clear guidance on who is protected: “A qualifying patient who has been issued and possesses a registry identification card shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty”, so long as that qualifying patient does not possess more than 2.5 ounces and 12 plants (MCL 333.26424(a)).

Monday, March 29, 2010

Facing Multiple Felony Drug Charges - Client Walks Away with a Chance at a Clean Record

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drug Crimes

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies

Categories: Drug Crimes

Read Mark Eddy's review and analysis on the federal and state policy on medical marijuana.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act Does Not Protect Michiganders from Federal Prosecution

Categories: Drug Crimes

In 2008, Michigan joined the other States who have enacted statutes allowing the use of marihuana for qualifying patients under strict guidelines. While Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act permits qualifying patients to possess up to 2.5 ounces, or their primary care givers to grow up to 12 plants, (MCL 333.26421 to 333.26430), those patients are not protected from Federal prosecution. This creates a conflict of laws that has yet to be decided in the 6th Circuit.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Prior Convictions Will Not Disqualify Someone Under Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Statute

Categories: Drug Crimes

Just because you have a prior conviction involving marijuana or other controlled substances, you are not prohibited from obtaining a medical marijuana certificate.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Drug Charges Dismissed For NLF Client

Categories: Drug Crimes

Mr. Bell represented a pair of teens in Northern Michigan charged with 6 offenses between them for operating under the influence of drugs, possession offenses and several motor vehicle code violations including speeding at 84 in a 55 mph zone. All but 2 of the charges were ultimately dismissed. The driver received a sentence of fines and costs without any probation, while the passenger received a deferral with an expungment when probation is completed in 6 months.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Drunk Driving and Drug Charges Dismissed

Categories: Michael J. Nichols, Drunk-Driving, Drug Crimes

Charges of OWI were dismissed against a Nichols Law Firm client, who was allowed to plead guilty to Reckless driving instead. The client was charged with OWI and possession of marijuana after his vehicle was stopped early one morning shortly before the Christmas holiday. "We were able to convince the prosecutor to dismiss the drug possession charge after groundbreaking Supreme Court decisions this spring" said Mike Nichols. "We then attacked the OWI charge and attack we did," Nichols added. The client was offered the plea agreement after motions were filed to suppress the evidence and the prosecuting attorney risked losing the case on the eve of trial.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Major Drug Charges Dismissed for Nichols Law Firm Client

Categories: Drug Crimes

Attorney Brendon Basiga was able to force a dismissal in a major drug case, based on the People’s inability to produce the necessary witnesses at a preliminary hearing.