Categories

Jalen Rose, a former NBA and Michigan Wolverines star and current ESPN analyst, reported to the Oakland County jail this morning, arriving before 8 a.m. to begin his 20-day sentence for drunk driving.

Rose, in a red shirt and shorts, jogged past television crews near the jail, in the Oakland County complex. “He walked right past whoever was out there,” said Oakland County Sheriff’s Captain Barry Zeeman. Rose, 38, is expected to be released Aug. 18, with two days lopped off his sentence for good time served.

Zeeman said Rose would be separated from the general jail population.

Rose, an analyst for ESPN and former Wolverine standout, was arrested in March after he crashed his Cadillac Escalade on Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield. He later admitted to drinking six martinis. A test showed he had a .12 percent blood alcohol level. Under Michigan law, .08 is considered legally drunk.

Last week, 48th district court judge Kimberly Small sentenced Rose to 20 days in jail, but allowed him to report today so he could attend his grandmother’s birthday party. Rose, who is known for his philanthropic work for inner city kids, apologized at the time and said the experience had “humbled and humiliated” him.

Rose, who lives in California, has no prior criminal record. After his release, he will report by mail to his probation officer.

Source

This St. Patrick’s Day is the first when Michigan’s new “super drunk” law is in force, where first-time drunken drivers whose blood alcohol level exceeds .16 are hit with enhanced penalties.

That’s prompting Michigan State Police to issue reminders about the law, plus these statistics from last year’s St. Patrick’s Day:

– 101 people were arrested in Michigan for drunken driving (level .08 or higher).

– 34 of those arrests were at “‘super drunk” levels.

– Two people died in alcohol-involved crashes.

“Drunk drivers will need more than the luck of the Irish,” said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning director. He urged people who drink to designate a sober driver.

“Michigan law enforcement take drunk driving very seriously. If you drive drunk you will be caught and you will be arrested.”

Here are maximum penalties for a drunken driving conviction: 93 days in jail, $500 fine, 360 hours community service, 180 days driving suspension, 6 points on a driver’s license.

Here are enhanced penalties for first-time drunk drivers who test at super drunk levels: up to 180 days in jail, $700 fine, and a mandatory alcohol treatment program for one year. In addition, there is a one-year license suspension, with limited driving privileges after 45 days.

A costly ignition interlock is required if motorists want limited driving privileges after 45 days. Installed on their vehicle, the device prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver’s breath measures .025 or above.

In addition, all convicted drunk drivers pay a $1,000 fee for two years, and refusing a breath test brings an automatic one-year driver’s license suspension.

Source

IONIA, Mich. —A new drunk driving law took effect Oct. 31 which enhances the penalties for first-time offenders with a blood alcohol content of .17 or higher.

The new law will not change enforcement actions, but those found guilty of the super DUI could face harsher penalties in the courts.

“It’s not going to change enforcement actions, but it is going to change it as far as penalties awarded by the courts,” said Ionia County Sheriff’s Office Srg. William Hoskins. “The new standard for the super drunk driving law goes into effect (Oct. 31), and that deals with higher penalties for somebody that is convicted with a greater (blood alcohol content) than .17.”

The enhanced penalties include: Up to 180 days in jail, increased from 93 days; a minimum fine of $200, up from $100; one year license suspension, increased from six-months and mandatory alcohol treatment program or self-help program for a period of not less than one year.

“For those people that fall in this with their first offense, it will force those people who have an alcohol problem to enter treatment,” said Ionia County Prosecutor Ron Schafer. “The advantage is to get them in treatment, ignition interlock or increased penalties.”

Those convicted under this law who with to have limited driving privileges following a 45 day license suspension will have to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle, which requires the driver to blow into the device and prevents a vehicle from starting if it measures blood alcohol content of .025 or greater.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s review of research, the interlock device reduces recidivism among first time and repeat driving while intoxicated offenders.

The .17 blood alcohol content level is over the doubled .08 unlawful blood alcohol content.

Hoskins explained that to get to .17 will take a lot of drinks to reach.

According to a press release from the Michigan State Police, a related law will take effect in 2011 that establishes restricted driver’s license requirements for individuals participating in the sobriety court interlock project pilot program.

The program will allow repeat alcohol offenders to obtain a restricted license and drive a vehicle that has an ignition interlock device.

Source

A new Michigan law provides a significantly stiffer level of penalties for drivers arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol if their blood alcohol content is more than twice the legal limit. The Grand Rapids Press reports:

Starting on Oct. 31, there will be two kinds of drunken drivers in Michigan: standard and “super.”

Standard are those with blood alcohol content of 0.08 to 0.16 percent. The super drunk, a new category under state law, are first-time offenders who test at 0.17 or above…

Fines and other costs could top $8,000, some defense attorneys predict. Alcohol treatment is mandatory, possible jail time is doubled, and driving is forbidden for 45 days.

The penalties include another first for Michigan: a requirement to install an in-car breathalyzer.

More than 40 states have passed such laws with little opposition.

Source

Police across Michigan made 300 arrests between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3 as part of the “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” campaign, Michigan State Police said.

Among those arrested were a parole absconder from Grand Junction who fled from police in his car then on foot before being caught by officers from the Covert Township Police Department and Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, according to a news release.

Officers from more than 200 law enforcement agencies in 30 counties put in nearly 7,500 hours during the 12-day campaign, State Police said. The effort, funded by $300,000 in federal highway-safety grants, resulted in 7,510 traffic stops and more than 5,700 citations, including 137 for alcohol- and drug-related charges.

Three of the 10 deaths in Michigan crashes during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods were drug- or alcohol-related, according to preliminary reports. During those periods last year, 20 people were killed in crashes that included three alcohol-related deaths, police said.

“Many agencies reported light traffic because of weather conditions and few drunk drivers out on the road,” Michael Prince, director of the state’s Office of Highway Safety Planning, said of this past holiday season.

IF you have been accused of a Michigan DUI seek a DUI attorney ASAP.

Source

Illinois defensive tackle Josh Brent has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.

Brent’s appearance in court Monday came after his Saturday arrest prompted Illinois coach Ron Zook to suspend the 21-year-old from the team indefinitely.

Brent played in 10 games last fall as a sophomore. He had 34 tackles, 8 1/2 tackles for loss and 1 1/2 sacks.

The Champaign County state’s attorney’s office says police on Saturday also discovered a warrant for Brent’s arrest for failing to appear in a Livingston County court on an earlier charge of driving on a suspended license.

Prosecutors say Brent’s blood alcohol level Saturday was .114 — well over the .08 legal limit.

Brent’s next court date in Champaign County is April 30. He’s also due in a Livingston County courtroom on March 23.

I am not sure who Josh hired in his defense, but he will need a great Illinois drunk driving lawyer to get off the hook here.

Source

Former Detroit Lion Reggie Rogers has been charged with drunken driving and hit-and-run for a collision on Interstate 5 in Tukwila, Wash.

The 44-year-old Federal Way, Wash., man is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in King County District Court in Seattle.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports this is the fifth DUI arrest in Washington for Rogers, who killed three teens in a DUI crash two decades ago in Michigan when he was with the Lions.

Court papers say Rogers was belligerent with state troopers last Wednesday and called one “Coach James” in reference to former University of Washington coach Don James. Rogers fell asleep on the way to the Tukwila Police Department where he refused to take a breath test.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Known as Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM) Programs, the foundation is a high-tech anklet, worn 24/7, that actually tests an offender’s sweat every 30 minutes, around the clock, in order to measure for any alcohol consumption. The system, known as SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), is currently monitoring 1,300 DUI offenders each day in the state of Texas.

More than 6,000 offenders have been monitored since Dallas and Tarrant County courts first began to use the system in late 2003. Today, 71 Texas counties have access to the technology, predominantly to monitor drunk drivers. Michigan, with the second largest daily number of SCRAM clients, currently monitors just under 900 offenders statewide each day.

The purpose of the system, according to corrections officials, is to target the high-risk, repeat DUI offenders who are struggling with addiction.

An effort to weed out impaired drivers in Dearborn County, Ind., ended without a single drunken driving arrest over the weekend. However, there were other types of arrests made.

There were 12 traffic arrests and 30 warnings. There were five criminal arrests. Of those, three were for drug offenses, one was for possession of a switchblade, and the fifth was for an outstanding felony warrant.

According to information from the Indiana State Police, troopers focused on motorists traveling on US 50 between 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday.

DUI statistics definitely show that there were some lucky drunk drivers on this Saturday night.
Source

Davenport University President Randolph Flechsig announced this morning in court that he has resigned from the school.

Flechsig was in court for sentencing for a drunk driving offense in late September. He was sentenced this morning to 93 day suspended jail sentence and $1125 in court costs, 15 Days community service, two years probation and his drivers license may be suspended pending a decision by the Secretary of State.

The Associated Press is reporting that the board asked Flechsig to step down.

Davenport University has named Mike Volk, the Executive Vice President of Finance, to be the interim president of the school.

Read Volk’s Statement

If you have been arrested for Davenport DUI seek the advice of a Michigan, DUI Lawyer.