Drunk Driving Charges in Taylor Michigan
Quick Facts about the 23rd District Court in Taylor, Michigan, Wayne County District Court
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If you are charged with operating while intoxicated in the 23rd District Court . . .
If you are charged with a DUI offense in Taylor, Michigan, then your case will be heard in the 23rd District Court in the City of Taylor. The two current judges of the 23rd District Court are the Honorable Joseph Slaven, and the Honorable Geno Salomone.
Although Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and the various assistant prosecuting attorneys working under the elected prosecutor have the ability to prosecute drunk driving cases in the Taylor district court, most of the drunk driving cases are handled locally by Taylor, Michigan through municipal contracts with private attorneys for legal services. This means that local charges are handled by private practicing attorneys. In addition to the local Taylor Police Department, City of Taylor, Wayne County Sheriff and the Michigan State Police will file charges on drunk driving cases arising within the jurisdictional boundaries of the 23rd District Court. Sheriff cases and MSP drunk driving charges are usually prosecuted by the Wayne county prosecutor's office, but these are not as common as local, municipal charges.
Michigan DUI Penalties
-TAB SELECT-First Time Offender: Super Drunk Over .17 BAC in the 23rd District Court
- Recorded as "misdemeanor" conviction as opposed to felony conviction on criminal record
- Jail up to 180 days
- Probation for up to 2 years with alcohol and drug monitoring
- Fines of $200 to $700, "plus court costs" which totals well over $1,000.00
- One year of alcohol rehabilitation
- 45 days hard suspension, eligible to drive for the balance of the year (320 days) if the offender pays to have a breath alcohol ignition interlock device installed in the vehicle
- Up to 360 hours community service
- Six points on your Michigan driver's license
- $1,000.00 per year for two years "Driver Responsibility Fee" charged by the Secretary of State through the Michigan Department of Treasury
A second offense for either super drunk, OWI, or OWVI within seven years of a prior OWI or OWVI results in tougher penalties, greater likelihood of jail, and a lifetime revocation of a person's driver's license. A third offense for any combination of OWI and OWVI charges in a lifetime is a felony OWI 3rd offense, which carries mandatory jail and a possible prison term of up to 5 years. A felony drunk driving charge arising in Taylor will likely be prosecuted in the Wayne County Circuit Court by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
First Time Offender: OWI - Operating While Intoxicated (Same as DUI or DWI) in the 23rd District Court
- Recorded as "misdemeanor" conviction as opposed to felony conviction on criminal record
- Jail up to 93 days
- Probation for up to 2 years with alcohol and drug monitoring
- Fines up to $500, "plus court costs" which totals over $1,000.00
- 30 days hard suspension on Michigan driver's license, eligible to drive for the balance of the six months (150 days) on a restricted basis, i.e. to / from / and in connection with work, court ordered programs, and emergency medical treatment
- Up to 360 hours community service
- Six points on your Michigan driver's license
- $1,000.00 per year for two years "Driver Responsibility Fee" charged by the Secretary of State through the Michigan Department of Treasury
A second offense for either OWI or OWVI within seven years of a prior OWI or OWVI results in tougher penalties, greater likelihood of jail, and a lifetime revocation of a person's driver's license. A third offense for any combination of OWI and OWVI charges in a lifetime is a felony OWI 3rd offense, which carries mandatory jail and a possible prison term of up to 5 years. A felony drunk driving charge arising in Taylor will likely be prosecuted in the Wayne County Circuit Court by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
First Time Offender: OWVI - Operating While Impaired in the 23rd District Court
- Recorded as "misdemeanor" conviction as opposed to felony conviction on criminal record
- Jail up to 93 days
- Probation for up to 2 years with alcohol and drug monitoring
- Fines up to $300, "plus court costs" which totals over $1,000.00
- 90 days restricted driving on Michigan driver's license, i.e. to / from / and in connection with work, court ordered programs, and emergency medical treatment
- Up to 360 hours community service
- Four points on your Michigan driver's license
- $500.00 per year for two years "Driver Responsibility Fee" charged by the Secretary of State through the Michigan Department of Treasury
A second offense for either OWI or OWVI within seven years of a prior OWI or OWVI results in tougher penalties, greater likelihood of jail, and a lifetime revocation of a person's driver's license. A third offense for any combination of OWI and OWVI charges in a lifetime is a felony OWI 3rd offense, which carries mandatory jail and a possible prison term of up to 5 years. A felony drunk driving charge arising in Taylor will likely be prosecuted in the Wayne County Circuit Court by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Taylor District Court
If you are convicted of a DUI in the Taylor district court, you may be subject to random chemical testing, including breath tests, transdermal monitoring (SCRAM tether), and urine tests. Increasingly, probation departments across Michigan are employing urine tests for alcohol known as EtG testing. The EtG test is a urine test that claims to detect biomarkers that result from the consumption of alcohol. Supposedly, these tests detect alcohol consumption for upwards of several weeks. If you have a positive EtG test but have not consumed alcohol, do not offer suggestions or defenses. Whenever you are going to court, whether it is in Taylor or elsewhere, assume that you might be subjected to drug or alcohol testing, and do not attempt to purchase gimmicks claiming to help pass a drug test.
Important: When reporting for probation, you will likely be given a breath test on a PBT. Do not arrive to court for a probation appointment after consuming alcohol!
23rd District Court Sobriety Court Program
The Taylor District Court has a Sobriety Court program, which means that a person facing mandatory license revocation for a second alcohol-related offense within seven years of a prior conviction might escape the harsh ramifications of lifetime driver's license revocation. The 23rd District Court hosts as the downriver sobriety court for Allen Park, Melvindale, Lincoln Park, Ecorse, River Rouge and Southgate through a grant from the federal Office of Highway Safety Planning. The sobriety program can accommodate 60 to 70 people at a time. Those eligible are repeat OWI offenders but cannot have any record of violent crime. This program is not an easy program, but a person may be entitled to drive within 45 days under the program.
Read this brochure from the Michigan Secretary of State regarding Sobriety Court: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Sobriety_Court_FAQs_3-8-11_351604_7.pdf. Be advised that accepting a position in a Sobriety Court still requires an application for restoration of one's driver's license before the DLAD for drivers license restoration.
Important:
A Michigan driver who is convicted of two alcohol-related offenses within 7
years faces mandatory lifetime revocation with no driving privileges, i.e. no
restrictions, no breath interlock device, and no ability to get to and from
work. Michigan's Secretary of State places a nationwide hold on revoked
motorists, so moving to another state does not help. Under the Sobriety Court project
approved by lawmakers, certain Sobriety Court judges are permitted to overrule
the Secretary of State's revocation procedures after a minimum 45 day suspension, granting a restricted driver's
license to the Sobriety Court candidate.
Prosecuting Attorneys in the 23rd District Court
Please note: Do not contact the prosecutor directly. It is always a better idea to have your lawyer engage in all communications with the prosecutor.
State Prosecutor for Wayne County
Kym L. Worthy (P38875)
Ragan E. Lake (P70433)
Wayne County Prosecutor
1441 Saint Antoine St
Frank Murphy Hall of Justice
Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 224-5777
Fax: (313) 224-8180
e-Mail: kworthy@co.Wayne.mi.us
City of Taylor Prosecutor
David F. Greco (P53523)
Gasiorek Morgan Greco & McCauley PC
30500 Northwestern Hwy Ste 425
Farmington Hills, MI
48334
Phone: (248) 865-0001
Fax: (248) 865-0002
E-Mail: dgreco@gmgpc.com
City of Taylor Prosecutor
Matthew A. Zick (P48951)
Grunow & Associates PLLC
26342 Gibraltar Rd
Flat Rock, MI
48134-1522
Phone: (734) 782-3277
Fax: (734) 782-2424
E-Mail: matt_zick@yahoo.com
23rd District Court Judges
The following opinions are drawn from my experiences and dealings with the Taylor judges in the 23rd District Court. It's important to understand that these are just my opinions, and other lawyers might disagree. Because I routinely challenge drunk driving cases, however, my experience with a particular judge might be different from another lawyer, especially when that attorney does not take cases to trial. None of the comments here should be viewed as an attempt to discredit a particular judge or reflect poorly upon the judiciary. The Taylor judges generally do not order jail time in DUI cases, and I generally enjoy cases in this jurisdiction. With that in mind, however, there are serious ramifications to a DUI conviction, so you should treat this case very seriously.
Hon. Geno Salomone
Judge Geno Salomone of the 23rd District Court was elected to the bench in 2000. When first elected to the bench, I would have described Judge Salomone as slightly pro-defense, but this no longer holds true. I like Judge Salomone, and it is always a pleasure to appear before him. He has been a very good judge generally speaking, although each victory I have had before him has been a difficult, hard-earned victory. I have waived the right to a jury trial before Judge Salomone, conducting a bench trial and obtaining a not guilty verdict. I do not know if I would continue to waive a jury before him today. He has grown increasingly pro-prosecution in recent years. I have seen Judge Salomone impose restrictive pretrial release conditions with high cash bonds, which is disconcerting. I have had an active motion practice before Judge Salomone with mixed results.
Hon. Joseph Slaven
Judge Joseph Slaven of the 23rd District Court took the bench in 2014, and he has become an excellent judge. Initially after taking the bench, I gave him quite the initiation and challenged him on a ruling that he made, and he has never held that against me. He has proven himself to be absolutely fair and unbiased in his rulings, which is the hallmark of what I consider to be a great judge. I have won a couple of motions before him in the last few years, but I have not had the opportunity to conduct a jury trial in his courtroom. I anticipate that he will be a great jury trial judge when I finally get the chance to conduct a jury trial in his courtroom. He has established himself to be very fair in terms of sentencing practices, and I have never had any complaint or problem with his sentencing practices. I have also watched him deal with unrepresented people in court, such as sovereign citizens, and he has earned my respect by treating these people very fairly and by following the law.
Directions to the 23rd District Court
The court is located at 23365 Goddard Rd., Taylor, Michigan 48180. The court is located just east of Telegraph Road on the south side of Goddard Road. This places the court closest to I-94, but it is not far north of I-75. Whether taking I-94 or I-75, Telegraph is the quickest road from the freeway. (Goddard is broken up to the west by Detroit Metro Airport, so avoid Goddard from the Romulus area.) (734) 374-1334
If You Are Searching for Qualified Taylor DUI Lawyers . . .
If you are currently charged with drunk driving in Taylor, Michigan, and seeking the most experienced Taylor DUI lawyer to represent you in the 23rd District Court, please send us a message or call our office at (888) 941-1122 or locally at (734) 591-0100.
William Maze can provide you with the highest quality representation in your Taylor drunk driving case. Mr. Maze is an award-winning attorney and one of Michigan's leading drunk driving defense lawyers. He is certified in standardized field sobriety tests and teaches other lawyers how to defend DUI cases. He has been trained on the BAC Datamaster breath testing device at National Patent Analytical Systems and owns two Datamaster devices as well as PBTs. He has received toxicology training in blood and urine testing, and he has attended hundreds of hours of specialized training in DUI defense across the county.
William has handled many Taylor DUI cases and routinely appears before the judges of the 23rd District Court, successfully representing clients through motions and jury trials that have resulted in favorable rulings. If you want to know more about William's nearly 20 years of experience fighting drunk driving cases or what you might expect as a result in your case, call our office and schedule an appointment with Mr. Maze.
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