Birmingham MI DUI Lawyer

If you’re accused of drinking and driving, you need help avoiding these costly charges. Reach out for help from a Birmingham MI OWI lawyer if you’ve been arrested for drunk driving.

You may have had a drink or two, but you’re almost certain you’re sober enough to drive. In other cases, you may not have felt like you had a choice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter why you were behind the wheel when a police officer pulls you over—if they have reason to believe you were driving drunk, you need a Birmingham MI DUI lawyer to avoid the penalties.

The lawyers at Schwartz Law Group understand how tough it can be to beat drunk driving charges without help. Luckily, you have the chance to get the guidance you need when you’re dealing with DUI or OWI charges.

Legal Limits in Birmingham, Michigan

When you’re accused of breaking the law, it’s important to understand the legal limits and why you’ve been accused of drinking and driving. For example, you may have thought you were driving safely and weren’t drunk, but the police claim you were over the legal limit.

The legal limit is based on how high the concentration of alcohol is in your system. For most drivers, you could be arrested for a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, of 0.08 percent. Truck drivers, however, must stay below 0.04 percent, and minors must stay below 0.02 percent.

Penalties for a DUI

When you’re accused of driving while intoxicated, you need to understand the penalties you could face. Your future is on the line, and it’s not going to be resolved just by pleading guilty. In fact, that could lead to more long-term penalties.

If you’re convicted of a Birmingham MI DUI, you could face thousands of dollars in fines and up to a year in jail. That’s not to mention the license suspension, and the fact that a first offense could be this severe. If you’ve been charged and convicted of drunk driving previously, you may be facing more severe charges.

Long-Term Penalties for Drinking and Driving

When you’re accused of drunk driving, your penalties won’t just end when you’ve paid your fines and served your sentence in jail. Your penalties will continue, and they can hurt your future.

For example, your license may be affected even now. It may still be suspended, or you may now have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle. This device forces you to take a breath test before you can start the car, which can be embarrassing and inconvenient.

The more severe penalty, though, is your criminal record, especially if you’re looking for a job that requires driving. Many commercial driving companies won’t hire drivers with a DUI on their record, which puts you in a difficult situation if you don’t fight back.

Finding the Right Defense for a DUI or OWI

When you’re accused of drinking and driving, you need to have the right defense prepared for your case. If you don’t, it can be difficult to overcome the accusation against you. Typically, your defense comes from what evidence you have about the case.

For example, you may believe the sobriety test was incorrect. Your Birmingham MI DUI attorney can help you find an expert witness to dispute the accuracy of the test. Often, this means checking whether the breathalyzer was accurate.

In other cases, you may have been in a dire situation, and waiting for the police may not have been an option. Let’s say you were drinking at a party, when someone else got violent with you. If others didn’t stop the person or call the police, you may feel you had no choice but to drive to safety. Your DUI lawyer may focus on proving you had no other choice.

Connect with a Birmingham MI DUI Attorney

Drinking and driving is a serious accusation, and if you don’t fight back, it can turn into a serious conviction. Your attorney at Schwartz Law Group may need to help you avoid the penalties for a DUI and get those charges dropped—it’s not easy to do on your own.

The good news is, your Birmingham MI DUI attorney can make a big difference in your case. We understand that you need someone on your side to help your case succeed, so you aren’t facing long-term penalties for your case.

Ready to get your charges dropped? Reach out by calling 248-930-5019 or by filling out the online contact form at the bottom of the page.