OWI

Michigan state Rep. Mary Cavanagh on Friday was sentenced to probation and assigned fines after pleading guilty to a drunk driving charge out of Livonia.

Michigan state Rep. Mary Cavanagh is set to be sentenced Friday on a drunk driving charge out of Livonia in February.

Michigan Representative Mary Cavanagh pleaded guilty Wednesday to a drunk driving charge after being arrested in Livonia in February.

GENESEE COUNTY, MI – An upcoming event could give a second chance to people convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Genesee County. Several organizations have come together to sponsor the Genesee County OWI Expungement Resource Fair, giving people who have previously been convicted for OWI a chance to clear their legal record. Such events are important because they allow people who may have made a mistake to stay on a pathway to success, says Percy Glover, a Genesee County Ambassador. It serves as a free opportunity for people in Genesee County to learn how to expunge first violations of the misdemeanor OWI charge from their criminal records. The expungement fair is sponsored by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Safe & Just Michigan, Mott Community College, GST Michigan Works!, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, in partnership with Chase Bank.

Police have shared body cam footage of the arrest of Michigan state Representative Mary Cavanagh, who is accused of drunk driving back in February.

Michigan Rep. Mary Cavanagh is facing a drunken driving charge after she was arrested in Livonia by an officer who saw her swerving around a highway with two flat tires, according to authorities.

RIVERVIEW, MI – A newly elected city councilman has been charged with OWI and leaving the scene of an accident for an incident that allegedly occurred just hours after he was elected. David Robbins, 34, of Riverview, was elected to the Riverview City Council earlier this month. Robbins was elected Nov. 3 as one of seven members of the Riverview City Council. He is accused of leaving the scene on foot, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “A dangerous event was put in motion by the defendant’s alleged actions leading to these criminal charges,” Worthy said in a statement.

According to the Michigan State Police, more than 40% of all fatal crashes in 2020 involved alcohol or drugs.

Bellino: New law offers one-time DUI offenders a chance to move on

Bellino’s DUI expungement package approved by Senate

Part of a package of bills aimed at making first-time drunken-driving convictions eligible for expungement advanced in the Michigan Legislature this week. Senate Bill 400, sponsored by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, would require a person with a first-time OWI offense on their record to wait five years before applying to set aside the conviction. The House legislation in the package, House Bills 4219, 4220, 4308 and 4309, are still pending in the Senate after clearing the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. A similar effort to loop first-time OWI offenses into the state’s expungement policy also sponsored by McBroom cleared both chambers of the Legislature last session, although Gov. Read more:Whitmer pocket vetoes first-time DUI expungement bill with little explanationMichigan House renews bipartisan push for first-time drunken driving expungementMichigan House approves drunken driving expungement for first-time offenders

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – A woman accused of driving drunk and killing two construction workers on I-94 in November now faces murder charges. Suspected drunk driver charged in death of 2 construction workers on I-94Musselman, 29, of Belleville, was arraigned on the murder charges Thursday, May 6. Washtenaw County 14A-1 District Court Judge J. Cedric Simpson revoked her bond, ordering her to report to the Washtenaw County Jail. Family, co-workers call for justice in deaths of workers killed on I-94At the May 6 hearing, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Robert Dawid argued the addition of the murder charges in the case were appropriate after reviewing additional evidence in the case. Musselman’s attorney, Dale Smith, argued against the murder charges and her bond being revoked, stating the prosecutor’s office had the same information it has now when it charged her in November.

A 17-year-old girl has been charged for driving under the influence of marijuana at the time of a crash that killed two of her friends in Monroe County, officials said.

Gretchen Whitmer during a recent COVID-19 news conference. SB 1254 allowing expungement of a first-time OWI offense, was vetoed by the @GovWhitmer today, for no stated reason. The bill was not opposed by the Governor’s office in the Senate or the House. More discussion below 1/6 #mileg @MIRSnews — Graham Filler (@grahamfiller) January 4, 2021No dice for first-time drunken drivers in Michigan looking to clean their records, as Gov. OWI expungement would have had a massive impact and helped thousands of Michigan citizens,” Filler added.

“We’ve arrested over 70 impaired drivers this month alone,” said Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw. “We know people are still going out, even if there’s nowhere to go.”Shaw said that number will likely increase on New Year’s Eve. You can drink as much as you want, you can smoke as much as you want. The campaign was started in 1997 after Sandra Latham, a Detroit grandmother, was killed by celebratory gunfire sitting in her dinning room. For the 23rd year, Hood is asking residents to put away their guns and find a safer way to bring in the new year.

click to enlarge Shutterstock.comA new piece of legislation on Gov. “This is also an opportunity to grow our workforce and expand access to job training and education for so many people.”First-time drunk driving convictions, however, were not among those convictions eligible for forgiveness.Enter Senate Bill 1254 . Introduced by Republican state Sen. Ed McBroom, the proposed amendment would allow eligible individuals with first-time OWI convictions to apply to clear their records through the courts and would require a judge to sign off on the request. Michigan residents with more than one OWI, or whose drunk driving resulted in physical harm, death, serious injury, or a felony conviction, would not be expunged under the legislation.As per the original Clean Slate legislation, expungement of select misdemeanors only affect public records and the visibility of those convictions. Courts and law enforcement will still be able to access prior OWI/DUI conviction history.Under current Michigan law, drunken driving offenses remain on an individual's record for life.

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Michigan State Police troopers said they pulled over a man who was driving 97 miles per hour Saturday on I-696 in Madison Heights. According to authorities, troopers determined he was driving under the influence and had a blood alcohol content of .19. It is illegal to drive in Michigan with a BAC of at least .08 with enhanced penalties for anyone driving with a BAC of .17 or higher. Police said he was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated -- High BAC and Driving with a Suspended License. Police said the passenger in the vehicle had a semiautomatic pistol in his waistband, which he announced was “open carry.” Troopers said he was also intoxicated and was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.

MANISTEE COUNTY, MI – A Michigan man has been charged with his third OWI after he flipped his vehicle and rolled into a lake in Manistee County. Troopers from the Michigan State Police Cadillac Post were dispatched to a rollover crash on Buttwell Road in Bear Lake Township at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Sept. 30. Troopers arrived to find 57-year-old Frederick Anthony Bradford standing on the beach near Bear Lake in wet clothes from having been in the lake. He was arrested after sobriety tests were administered and lodged in the Manistee County Jail. Bradford was arraigned Friday in the 85th District Court in Manistee County on one count operating while intoxicated third offense.

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The driver of a red Chevrolet SUV was taken into custody Thursday morning after colliding with an Oakland County Sheriff’s vehicle. According to authorities, the incident happened just after 5 a.m. when a deputy driving northbound on Dixie Highway was struck by an southbound SUV that appeared to be waiting to turn in to a gas station. Police said the SUV abruptly came into the deputy’s lane of travel, who evaded a head-on collision, but was still struck by the SUV. The patrol vehicle sustained major damage to the driver side front and was not drive-able and the Chevrolet SUV had damage to the driver side front panel. Police said the driver of the Chevrolet SUV was determined to be operating the vehicle while intoxicated and after an OWI blood draw was completed, the driver of the SUV was lodged at the Oakland County Jail.

GROVELAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. A motorcyclist was killed when a woman rear-ended them at a high rate of speed early Sunday morning, officials say. Michigan State Police say at about 3:30 a.m. a woman was traveling north on I-75 near Lahring Road at a high rate of speed when she rear-ended the motorcycle. The motorcyclist was killed from the impact of the crash, officials said. The woman who struck the motorcyclist was arrested for operating her vehicle while intoxicated. Northbound lanes of I-75 and two southbound lanes were closed on Sunday following the crash.

DETROIT Kelvin Jerome Simpson II was charged Tuesday in connection to a collision that killed his 9-year-old son. According to authorities, the crash happened in the 14000 block of Minock Street at about 3 a.m. Sunday. Tuesday, Simpson was charged with second degree homicide, operating with a high blood alcohol concentration causing death, operating while intoxicated causing death, operating while license suspended causing death, operating with a high blood alcohol content causing serious injury and second degree child abuse. Court documents claim Simpson stood mute and a plea of not guilty was entered by the court. He is being held without bail and is expected to return to court Aug. 4.

ROSEVILLE, Mich. A family spent hours in the scorching heat in Roseville to drive home an important message during the Independence Day weekend. In 2019, the family lost their 4-year-old in a suspected drunk driving crash. Friends and family members gathered at the intersection where the collision happened in hopes that drivers will think twice before driving under the influence. At about 11 p.m., the vehicles collided in the intersection of Little Mack Avenue and Masonic Road. At the time police said it was unclear which driver ran the red light, but suspected the other driver was under the influence.

PONTIAC, Mich. A 43-year-old man was arrested for driving into a telephone pole then fleeing the scene in Pontiac on Sunday morning. Police say a witness saw the man drive into a telephone pole on Dakota Street and then flee the scene on a skateboard around 10:30 a.m. The deputy ordered the man to drop the tire but he swung it in the deputys direction before dropping it. Another deputy arrived and they arrested the man without further incident, police say. The Pontiac man was transported to Oakland County Jail.

DETROIT – The Michigan State Police director testified Thursday in Lansing about the department’s investigation into discrepancies with breathalyzer testing. Police are taking all 203 Datamaster DMT evidential breath alcohol testing instruments out of service until police can inspect them and make sure each device is properly calibrated. April 2019 -- MSP put additional workflow requirements in place with the vendor to ensure compliance with state law and administrative rules and move toward accreditation. Aug. 21, 2019 -- MSP received a corrective action plan from Intoximeters that outlined their action plan to correct the contractual failures. Aug. 23, 2019 -- An Intoximeters technician committed a serious error that resulted in the dismissal of an OWI case in Montcalm County.