There are multiple reasons that you may have lost your license. But now you face a criminal charge of driving on a suspended or revoked license.
Even if you were not aware of a license suspension, and you believed you had a valid license, that may not be a legal defense. however, there are absolutely things we can do to challenge this offense, and fight to keep your license.
Michigan judges can sentence you to suspension or even revocation of your license for a variety of charges, including:
Regardless of why your license was suspended, if you are caught driving you will be charged, and can absolutely be facing real jail time.
Driving on a suspended or revoked license in Michigan is a misdemeanor offense.
If this is a first offense of this nature, you face a potential sentence of up to 93 days in jail and up to $500.
However, if this is your second or subsequent conviction you face up to 1 year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines.
A revoked driver’s license is a more serious outcome than a suspended driver’s license.
A license revocation puts the offender in the position they were in before they ever had a license and the ONLY way to then get a license is to go through the a driver’s license restoration process, which can involve a lot of paperwork, possible reinstatement hearings, or other complex problems. You may be denied a license, or issued a restricted (occupational) license instead.
With a suspension, your license comes back and is automatically reinstated after the suspension period is up. You only have to pay the reinstatement fee of $125 and any applicable driver responsibility fees, and your Michigan driver’s license will be restored.
What would have been simple a misdemeanor charge can escalate to a felony when an accident is involved.The penalties may be more serious depending on the outcome and damage in the car accident.
If someone was hurt in the accident, you could face up to 5 years in prison and fines of $1,000 to $5,000.
If while driving under suspension your driving causes the death of another person, you will be face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $2,500 to $10,000.
If your license is revoked or suspended and you are charged with driving during that period, your auto insurance company will almost certainly find out about the violation and raise your rates, require special coverage or even drop your coverage entirely.
Driving on a suspended license is very common and an offense that is often difficult to avoid.
When your license is suspended or revoked life becomes very difficult. Without widespread public transportation in Michigan you are left trying to find alternative ways of getting around, getting to work. Because of this, we know that driving on a suspended or revoked license is common, but we also know that it is a law violation the state of Michigan will prosecute.
Our experienced attorneys can not only help you decipher the law and make sense of your legal battle, they can put you at ease. When an attorney has dealt with the court of jurisdiction before, they know the people and situations quite well. This experienced knowledge can be a vital asset in your case.
If this is your first offense drunk driving charge, our attorneys may be able to get an OWI charge reduced to OWVI (operating while visibly impaired). If you are convicted of OWVI, you will face essentially the same sentence with a few minor differences.
Michigan has repealed the very unpopular driver responsibility fees.
If you re under the age of 21 and found to be driving while under the influence you will face charges is your blood alcohol level is .02 to .07% or if you have any amount of alcohol in your system. (Except in circumstances of religious ceremonies).
If you refuse to submit to the datamaster breathalyzer or preliminary breathtest or if you intentionally use less effort than required for a valid test on the breathalyzer you will automatically lose your driver’s license for a period of one year with no restrictions to allow you to drive anywhere including to and from work. You may demand a hearing with the Secretary of State to try to get your license restored.
If you are charged with a criminal offense of driving while your license is under suspension in Michigan, please contact us for a free case evaluation.