The Impact of Heidi’s Law on Alcohol-Related Driving Offenses and Other Developments
Under current Michigan law, an individual is considered to be driving while intoxicated when the person‘s blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 or above, or, driving under the influence of alcohol (visibly impaired driving) if their BAC is below .08. These offenses are misdemeanors, punishable by a sentence of up to 93 days in jail, for the first time offender. If an offender has a second alcohol-related driving offense within seven years of a prior such conviction, the person can be imprisoned for up to one year. Prior to January 3, 2007, if a person accumulated two or more alcohol-related offenses within ten years of one another, regardless of when during the ten-year period the previous convictions occurred, the person would be charged with a felony. Read More …