Although in Michigan driving is considered a privilege, it is a necessity for most. When you have been charged with a driving infraction or drunk driving, the penalties can sometimes be too much.

In Michigan a conviction for Operating While Intoxicated will suspend your license, cost you 6 points on your driving record and $1,000 a year in driver responsibility fees - by the Secretary of State. This is outside of what the court will do. The court may punish you with jail time, community service, probation, alcohol treatment, fines and costs. When the matter is concluded (perhaps a year or more later) you will have spent 5 - 10 thousand dollars in expenses, plus the time you lost due to probation or jail.

A traffic citation in Michigan can place any number of points on your record (depending on the charge), the cost of the ticket, additional drivers responsibility fees and the potential for increased insurance rates.

Some people take driving infractions lightly, just pay the ticket and go on without thinking of the long term effects that a traffic ticket can have on your license. The points you receive from a citation may not affect your insurance rates immediately but there is a high potential that it will down the road.

At the Shepard Law Office we handle driving offenses as seriously as we handle the most serious of criminal matters. We examine the evidence with the utmost thoroughness to make sure that if there was any error, it is addressed. As a former police officer, I have the utmost respect for the law enforcement community however mistakes do happen and if so, your freedom and liberties need to be protected.

If you are facing a traffic offense and need help, please call us at (248) 230-4103.