Drunk Driving Arrest Experience
A recent client wanted to share her experience of her drunk driving arrest. Aaron J. Boria did not edit this letter in anyway, this is her recollection of the events and her experience of the arrest, and court experience.
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I will never forget that dreadful night when I was arrested, thrown in jail and charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol. This was not my first DUI, I had also been arrested twice for the same thing 20 years prior. Back then, I swore I would never put myself in a position where I had to deal with the law ever again. Now, as I’m sitting alone in a tiny jail cell, with only my thoughts, all that is running through my mind is the word “felony.” In Michigan if you are convicted of a 3rd DUI, you will be charged with a felony, which carries a very harsh punishment, including jail time. I was beyond terrified and I truly felt that my life was over.
The night started out innocently enough with a group of friends taking a bus to a popular bar in Detroit, with every intention of being responsible and never getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. The beginning of the night was a blast, filled with good conversation, lots of laughs, great food and even karaoke. But, as the evening continued, so did the steady flow of alcohol.
Eventually, it was getting late and it was time board the bus and head back. We intended on drinking that night so we had proactively booked a room to stay overnight in so nobody had to drive. When we arrived back at the hotel we immediately hit the onsite bar, where we ordered up a round of shots, not wanting the night’s festivities to come to an end. Things were becoming very foggy at this point and my recollection of the rest of the night is vague.
It was just after 1:00am when the bar closed, and when I made the terrible decision to get in my car to make a phone call, which ended with me turning the ignition and starting to drive. It was not long before I saw the red and blue flashing lights in my rearview mirror. My worst nightmare was coming true as two officers approached my car from both sides. At this point, I knew I had made a horrible mistake and there was nothing I could do to change what was about to happen.
With the smell of alcohol seeping through my open window, it was only moments before I was asked to step out of my car to perform, and fail a series of field sobriety tests, which led to submitting to a breath test that would measure the blood alcohol content in my system. In Michigan, it is illegal to operate a vehicle if your blood alcohol level is above a .08. A new law has been adopted in Michigan called the Super Drunk Law, which says if your blood alcohol content is a .17 or higher you will be charged as “Super Drunk,” which roughly doubles the punishment that a typical DUI carries. In my case, my blood alcohol content was higher than a .17. I was immediately hand-cuffed, put in the back of the police car and taken to the jail, where I would spend the rest of my night and much of the next day.
After hours upon hours of being locked behind bars, I was given another breath test to prove I had no alcohol left in my system. It was not until then that I was released to a family member for a $500 cash bond. The embarrassment, shame and regret I felt was just the beginning of the problems I would have to deal with. Now came the legal implications, fines and anticipated outcome.
I knew I needed legal assistance and I needed it fast. After speaking with a couple of lawyers that only made me feel like a criminal, with no hope for positive results, I was referred to attorney Aaron J. Boria by a friend of mine. He listened closely to all the details of my arrest and was very up front with the potential punishments I was facing, but he did this with a sense of ease that assured me he would do everything in his power to fight for me. If convicted of a felony, I was looking at a minimum of 30 days and up to 5 years in jail, in addition to numerous penalties, including, but not limited to substantial fines, loss of driving privileges, ongoing alcohol treatment and several hours of community service.
Aaron J. Boria went to work for me right away, always keeping me in the loop on updates and he was extremely responsive to my many questions and concerns. From the moment I hired him, my only obligation was to sit and wait for the court date. When that day finally arrived, I met with Aaron, who had already talked with the prosecutor to work out a plea deal. He prepped me so that I knew exactly what to expect when I stood in front of the judge. Aaron J. Boria conveyed a confidence and professionalism that assured me I was in good hands. His main goal in my case was to see that the charged was reduced from being Super Drunk so that I would be sentenced to a lesser punishment.
If you are convicted of being “Super Drunk” under the new Michigan law, you can expect:
- Up to 6 months in jail
- Mandatory revocation of your driver’s license for 1 year
- 6 points on your driver’s license
- Driver’s responsibility fees of $2000
- Substantial court fines
With Aaron J. Boria’s hard work and expertise, he was able to get my charge reduced from a Felony, Super Drunk conviction to Driving While Visibly Impaired, which resulted in the following penalties:
- Misdemeanor
- No jail time
- A restricted license for 3 months, with no revocation period
- 4 points on my driver’s license
- Driver’s responsibility fee was cut in half
- Court fines were cut by more than double
- 1 year of probation
Leaving the courtroom that day, I felt that a huge weight had been lifted from me. Aaron J. Boria proceeded to guide me all the way through the end of the process. He walked me to the probation department, where we completed all of the requirements that same day. I knew exactly what was expected of me moving forward and I did not have to attend any further court dates.
Aaron J. Boria used his skills and knowledge to greatly reduce the severity of my punishment and the negative impact my mistake could have had on my life.
If you, like me have made a huge mistake and got caught drinking and driving I would highly recommend that you call Aaron J. Boria.
