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What to expect during St. Patrick’s Day weekend

On Behalf of | Mar 15, 2018 | Felonies |

Spring time is a time for new beginnings throughout Michigan. Snow is melting, college basketball tournaments take center stage, and St. Patrick’s Day is a popular holiday. Events and celebrations commemorating Irish heritage are very popular among Michiganders.

Unfortunately, St. Patrick’s Day is also known for excessive drinking. Because of that, police in Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Kalamazoo and throughout Michigan are gearing up for revelers and will be implementing extra patrols this coming weekend. This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday. It is likely that public safety grants will fund additional patrols. Essentially, more officers will be the streets from Thursday night, when the NCAA tournament begins, through early Sunday morning, March 18th.

While we encourage our readers to enjoy the festivities, we want to remind them of the consequences (and costs) of a DUI conviction. Offending drivers face hundreds of dollars in fines and court costs, and the prospect of spending time in jail. (Driving under the influence is punished as a misdemeanor offense). They also will be subject to an alcohol assessment, and may be required to participate in alcohol safety classes. Most importantly, offending drivers will have a criminal record that will follow them for years to come.

Of course, those arrested on suspicion of drunk driving could avoid these consequences by hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney, but legal representation is another cost that could be avoided. Simply put, the cost of taking an Uber, using public transportation or using a designated driver is much cheaper than marshalling the funds to defend a DUI charge.