Testimonial Letters for a Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Hearing
Testimonial letters are one of the most misunderstood parts of a Michigan driver’s license restoration case. Many people assume there is some hidden formula for writing them. There is not. These letters are not supposed to be mysterious, and they do not need to sound like they were written by a lawyer.
The purpose of a testimonial letter is straightforward. The hearing officer wants to hear from people who know you well enough to personally describe your sobriety, lifestyle, and recovery. A good letter provides specific facts. A weak letter offers general praise.
A letter that says, “He is a good person and needs a license,” does very little. A letter that explains how long the writer has known you, how often the writer sees you, what the writer knows about your past drinking, when the writer last saw you drink, and how your life has changed is much more useful.
What Each Letter Should Include
Each testimonial letter should address the following information:
- The writer’s full name and relationship to you.
- How long the writer has known you.
- How often the writer sees or communicates with you.
- The last time the writer saw you drink alcohol or use a controlled substance, or the last time the writer had knowledge of any such use.
- The amount of alcohol or controlled substance the writer believes you consumed on that last occasion, if known.
- Whether the writer has seen you in social settings where alcohol or controlled substances were present.
- How you behave in those settings and whether you abstain.
- The writer’s knowledge of your treatment, counseling, AA, NA, SMART Recovery, or other support-group involvement.
- The writer’s observations about changes in your lifestyle, judgment, priorities, and sobriety.
- Any other information the writer believes is important for the hearing officer to know.
The letter should be honest, specific, and written in the writer’s own voice. It should not sound scripted. It should not exaggerate. It should not include facts the writer does not personally know. The most persuasive letters are usually plain, direct, and detailed.
Get the Letters Notarized
The testimonial letters should be signed, dated, and notarized. Each letter should also include the writer’s complete mailing address and a telephone number where the writer can be reached during ordinary business hours.
Letters should be current. Old letters may create problems because the hearing officer must evaluate your present sobriety and present risk. A stale letter may not say much about your current recovery.
Who Should Write the Letters?
The best letters usually come from people who have regular contact with you and can personally speak about your sobriety. If you are active in AA or another support group and have a sponsor, one letter should generally come from the sponsor. Other letters may come from family members, close friends, coworkers, employers, counselors, clergy, or other people who know your habits and lifestyle well.
The goal is a meaningful cross-section of people who can personally attest to your alcohol or controlled-substance use, or abstinence from use. A hearing officer is more likely to trust letters from people who actually see you, observe your behavior, and understand your history.
Consistency Matters
The letters must be consistent with each other, with the substance use evaluation, and with your testimony at the hearing. If one letter says your last drink was five years ago and another suggests it was two years ago, that inconsistency may become a major problem. If a letter says you attend AA every week but your evaluation says you do not attend support groups, that conflict must be corrected before filing.
These letters are not designed to trick you, but they must be prepared carefully. They are part of the proof used to determine whether your alcohol or substance-use problem is under control and likely to remain under control. Strong letters can help prove your case. Weak or inconsistent letters can cause an otherwise valid restoration appeal to be denied.
