Recent Articles

FOIA: Monroe County Sheriff Freedom of Information Act Victory

Monroe County Michigan - FOIA Victory

On June 7, 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals handed down a FOIA victory, reversing the Monroe County Circuit Court in the case of Radford v Monroe County. 

My client sought videos and other materials from the Monroe County Sheriff's department on a misdemeanor charge. Monroe County denied the FOIA. We settled the criminal case but proceeded with a civil lawsuit under FOIA.

ARIDE Officers Permitted to Testify as Drug Recognition Experts

Nearly all police officers receive drunk driving detection training in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), a 24 hour course that trains officers on how to administer 3 standardized field sobriety tests to drivers suspected of alcohol impairment.

Voodoo Science! Drug Recognition Experts Called Out in Georgia

Michigan was one of the last states to join the ranks of the so-called Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training program. According to the Michigan State Police, "the top tier of the OWI Pyramid is the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training program. DRE training is advanced training for highly motivated officers active in OWI enforcement. This program offers an academically challenging curriculum developed to enhance an officers ability to identify, evaluate, and document suspected drug impairment.

Getting Out of Jail After a Michigan OWI Arrest

So, you (or a loved one) were stopped and arrested for a DUI in Michigan. It's 2:30 a.m., and you can't get an attorney on the phone. When can you bond out? How long are you going to stay in jail on a drunk driving charge? Will you make it to work in the morning? What sort of money do you need to post bail? There are some simple preliminary answers, but this is a complex issue that police and courts get wrong on a regular basis. 

 

REVERSED ON APPEAL: 18th District Court in Westland

Discovery is not permitted in misdemeanor cases, but the district court judge ordered it in a case where the client and I intended to present expert testimony.  We intended to produce Dr. Ron Henson, an expert witness from Illinois regarding the impact that GERD has on the accuracy and reliability of a breath test.  This is not exactly controversial, since numerous studies have shown that gastroesophygeal reflux disease can inflate breath test scores. The prosecutor called it "junk science" and demanded that we produce expert witness reports and articles.

Can the Police Stop a Vehicle for Tinted Windows in Michigan?

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures." U.S. Const. amend. IV.

"Temporary detention of individuals during the stop of an automobile by the police, even if only for a brief period and for a limited purpose, constitutes a 'seizure' of 'persons' within the meaning of [the Fourth Amendment]." Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 809-10, 116 S. Ct. 1769, 135 L. Ed. 2d 89 (1996).  

Interlock Devices for First-time Offenders

On December 17, 2013, David Shepardson reported in the Detroit News that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has, "urged all states to require first-time drunken driving offenders to use ignition interlocks that prevent them from operating their vehicles after drinking."  He continues:

A Michigan Drunk Driving Charge is Serious!

A Michigan drunk driving charge is very serious. You must treat this charge as potentially life-changing. Many lawyers make a great deal of money on these cases by pleading people guilty to the offense of "operating while visibly impaired" (OWVI) without ever exploring a defense. An OWVI counts as a drunk driving conviction, and a Michigan drunk driving conviction can:

REVERSED ON APPEAL: 18th District Court in Westland

Discovery is not permitted in misdemeanor cases, but the district court judge ordered it in a case where the client and I intended to present expert testimony.  We intended to produce Dr. Ron Henson, an expert witness from Illinois regarding the impact that GERD has on the accuracy and reliability of a breath test.  This is not exactly controversial, since numerous studies have shown that gastroesophygeal reflux disease can inflate breath test scores. The prosecutor called it "junk science" and demanded that we produce expert witness reports and articles.