Michigan Criminal Defense Law Blog

If you tend to get drunk easily because you don’t drink much, have taken certain kinds of medication, or have not slept, then you are better off keeping this information to yourself. In other words, if you are stopped because an officer suspects drunk driving, you are well-advised to exercise your Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and remain silent. Yes, you should cooperate and provide necessary information such as your identity, proof of insurance, and such. Just be sure not to make any potentially incriminating statements.

A DUI case out of Oregon addressed this issue and helped to answer this question. In this case, the defendant was convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants after a jury trial. At trial, the court told the jury that the defendant had a physical condition that increased their susceptibility to the influence of alcohol than he or she would otherwise have under the influence of intoxicants. (Miles instruction)[i].

Although the defendant and their OWI defense attorney objected to the giving of the Miles instruction, the court reasoned that the instruction was justified because the defendant informed law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest that he had taken pain medication for a bad knee. On appeal, the defendant argued that the trial court erred in giving the Miles instruction. To provide this instruction in Oregon, the government must show that there is “evidence that the defendant’s condition made him more susceptible to the influence of alcohol.” [ii] In this case, the State admitted that there was no such evidence, and that the evidence about the pain medication for a bad knee was insufficient for the jury to make such an inference. Thus, the trial court was reversed because the trial judge should not have given the instruction.

There are three categories of consequences that can arise out of a drunk driving conviction. The punitive sanctions are those that the judge imposes after you are convicted, and include things like jail time, fines and costs, community service, etc. The driver license sanctions are those imposed by the Secretary of State.

For example, once you’ve been convicted of a high BAC/Super-Drunk case, your license will be suspended for 45 days followed by 320 of restricted privileges with an ignition interlock device.

But, the most significant consequences of a drunk driving conviction are often the collateral consequences.

Michigan has been particularly hard hit by Covid-19, and our Governor Gretchen Whitmer has responded with a series of executive orders effectively ordering residents into house arrest. Under the most recent shelter in place Executive Order 2020-42, citizens are allowed to leave their homes only for things necessary to sustain life, such as to obtain food and medicine. Even then, Michigan’s governor has ordered that citizens make maximum use of delivery services, meaning there is a near total lock down until May 1, 2020. Consequently, all bars and sit down restaurants remain closed, as are public gatherings of almost any size, even in one’s home.

While alcohol consumption in Michigan is on the rise during the pandemic meaning people are now drinking copious quantities inside their homes, often as part of a virtual happy hour with friends, they are not leaving their homes or driving their cars. As a result, the Michigan’s economy is at a near halt, and with it, so too are DUI arrests.

On top of this, police resources are strained by covid-19 personnel losses, and the already strained police forces are refocusing efforts toward enforcing the governor’s shelter in place orders, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail. With the roadways nearly empty, and fewer police on patrol, far less traffic stops are occurring.

As Second Amendment advocates, the Barone Defense Firm offers gun trusts to the firearms owners in Michigan. Michigan has a long history of gun and hunting culture. To continue meeting the needs of firearms owners in Michigan, the Barone Defense Firm helps people create a document that ensures that appointed individuals can use firearms during and after the lifetime of the trust creator.

What is a gun trust?

A gun trust is a document that allows you to designate others to legally possess your firearms while living and to distribute your firearms to beneficiaries upon your passing.

What kinds of firearms go into a gun trust?

Most people use gun trusts to transfer ownership of firearms regulated by Title 2 of the National Firearms Act (NFA). These firearms include (1) shotguns with barrels less than 18 inches, (2) a shotgun that has been changed to make it less than 26 inches or the barrel less than 18 inches, (3) a rifle less than 18 inches long, (4) a rifle that has been changed to make it less than 26 inches or the barrel less than 18 inches, (5) a machine gun, (6) any silencer, (7) a destructive device (i.e. explosive device).

It has been widely reported in a rather sensational story that a 6-time murderous drug dealer from the City of Detroit avoided jail by becoming a DEA informant. The big questions are what did the DEA know about their informant’s background, and did the information he provided justify the informant’s extraordinary deal?  According to Barone Defense Firm attorney Keith Corbett, the DEA knew about their informant’s dangerous criminal history and the DEA’s deal was a bad one.

This story, which was widely reported in the Detroit area news media, was eventually picked up by the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail.  The individual involved is Kenyel Brown, and according to the UK Daily Mail article “Brown was hired as an informant for the Detroit Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration in a joint task force.”  Our local paper, the Detroit Free Press reported that Brown was released from custody at the request of federal law enforcement officials. It was U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman who actually signed the release.

In addition to the alleged 6 murders, Brown had other criminal legal problems.  For example, he violated the terms of his probation by failing to remain abstinent from drugs and alcohol, missing mandatory meetings, and, picking up a drunk driving charge!  Judge Freedman was aware of all this, but decided to give Brown a break because, in addition to all of his criminal wrongdoing, he was “doing some of the right things” too.