Nurse or Doctor Charged with Drug or Alcohol Crimes
If you are a health care professional and are facing criminal charges call Boria Law today (734) 453-7806.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs requires that a licensed health care professional report a criminal conviction within 30 days of the conviction being entered.
It is important to note that it is upon conviction that the report must be made, not upon charges being made.
Consequences for a drug or alcohol conviction as a doctor or nurse
Depending on the nature of the conviction, the department can impose fines, while most of the fines are minimal, they can impose fines of up to a quarter of a million dollars.
Other collateral consequences can include suspension or even the revocation of your professional license.
First time offenders are rarely suspended or revoked by the board. Generally, they are ordered to undergo a lengthy probationary period that includes mandatory substance-abuse treatment. Failure to report convictions to LARA will generally result in a suspension of the professional license for 30 to 60 days.
Operating While Intoxicated and Medical Professionals
In many cases, your lawyer may be able to obtain a reduction from Operating While Intoxicated, OWI, to the less serious offense of Operating While Visibly Impaired. Unfortunately, the board will not treat the lesser offenses are being less serious then if you had been convicted of OWI.
A reduction to a non substance abuse related offense would likely be more beneficial. However, you would still be required to report it and you would have to provide background information about the offenses. The board may very well require some type of probation or substance abuse treatment regardless of the outcome.
This means that you may be forced to take your case to trial even when you don’t want to.
In some situations, depending on your prior criminal record, it may be possible to completely avoid a conviction by sealing the offense under certain legal statutes. If the offense is sealed, legally, there is no conviction, which means there is no requirement to report the offense.
Michigan Criminal Lawyer
If you have been charged with possession of drugs, operating while intoxicated, or some other crime contact Michigan DUI lawyer, Aaron J. Boria. We know the law and we fight for our client’s rights. Call (734) 453-7806 for a free consultation.
