BAC level of .18 leads to enhanced charges

It's that time of year again - a time to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends. We're well into the Christmas season now, with Thanksgiving having come and gone. Unfortunately, one man from Ypsilanti Township will probably remember the events of this past Thanksgiving for a long time to come.

According to a recent report, the 28-year-old man will be facing a drunk driving charge under Michigan's "Super Drunk" law after he was arrested in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving, November 28. The man was reportedly out drinking at an Ann Arbor bar. It appears that after he decided to leave the bar at around 3:00 a.m. police observed the man failing to stay in his lane as he was driving his 1996 BMW. He also allegedly ran a red light and swerved onto some grass near the road.

As most of our readers know, one of the key parts of a traffic stop on suspicion of drunk driving is for police to conduct field sobriety tests on the driver. These tests can include having the suspect follow the tip of a ballpoint pen with their eyes, walk a straight line or stand on one leg. While the results of these tests are sometimes contested in court, they are usually just used to give the police an early indication as to whether or not a suspect may be intoxicated.

The reports on this case indicate that the suspect was cooperative, but the end result was bad news: a reported blood alcohol content level of .18, which is well over the legal limit of .08 in Michigan. With the BAC level over .17, the state's Super Drunk law comes into play. As a result, this man may have an even harder time staving off a conviction on the DUI charge.

If you or a loved one has been charged with drunk driving, and want the help of local, experienced and dedicated drunk driving attorney in Ann Arbor, please call Dan and his team at GLG Michigan. 

Source: mLive, "Police: Man arrested for 'super drunk' driving on big bar night before Thanksgiving," John Counts, Nov. 30, 2013