MADD says Michigan isn’t harsh enough with drunk drivers.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, more commonly known by their “angry” acronym MADD, provides an annual report that ranks each state by the leniency or severity of their drunk driving laws. In the past, Michigan was ranked as a 2 out of 5 on the list, which meant that we were pretty lenient with drunk drivers, but were not considered to have the most lenient laws of them all. This year, that has changed.
Drunk and drugged drivers get a lot of criticism for being the most dangerous obstacles to safety on the roads today. Which, if we are going to be entirely honest, isn’t too far from the truth. But as it turns out, there are other drivers who may pose even more of a threat than the average intoxicated driver. And to make it even less believable, they are completely sober! Yes, right here in Michigan. Don’t think that’s possible? Check this out…
Picture this…you are a young man or woman raised in Michigan. You have has chosen to join our armed forces after high school. Maybe you made this decision because you are a patriot. Maybe because it’s what your father did before you. Or maybe you just wanted to get away from home for a while, experience something new, and see a different part of the world.
Certain things go hand in hand together, like ice cream and apple pie. Or peanut butter and jelly. Unfortunately another common combo is Drunk Driving and Child Endangerment. Although many people may not realize it, Child Endangerment, while it is a criminal charge that pertains directly to child abuse, in some Michigan cases is also tied directly to drunk driving. How, you may wonder? Well, we’re going to break it down for you so that you’re completely “in the know” about this.
We all know the story. You’re out with your friends sharing a few drinks and having a blast. The night wears on. Your plan to stop after two beverages falls by the wayside. Soon three becomes four, becomes five. Because you’re aware of the possible consequences, you caught a cab home, avoiding any chance of a DUI. You’re going to have a whopping hangover tomorrow, but hey, you’re having such a good time it’ll be worth it, right?
There have been numerous interesting and creative defenses used by defense attorneys over the years in an effort to protect their clients from criminal charges, but this is a relatively new one. ‘Sleep driving,’ which Kathleen Bailey’s attorney says is the reason she was pulled over last November. This is a new twist on drunk driving defense. But did it hold up in a Michigan court?
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to draw attention to something that needs to change. In the same way that it took widespread media coverage of the Maryanne Godboldo case to instigate change in how CPS can enforce medication orders from doctors, sometimes public awareness of an issue is what’s needed to address a problem.
For many people, the word ‘Amish’ is synonymous with a number of things. Hard work, beards, farming, horse-drawn buggies and religion being the more common associations. Drunk driving, however, is not usually something one associates with the Amish, and with good reason – their religion frowns on intoxication and in some cases, bans it completely.
During the weeks leading up to Labor Day, the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign took place all over Michigan. Officers from multiple agencies, including the Michigan State Police and local agencies across our state all participated. The results were interesting. It appears that while there were a surprising number of arrests, the number of fatalities were actually lower than in previous years.
The Flint water crisis has received national media coverage for months. Since the discovery of toxic levels of lead in the Flint water supply, there have been conspiracy theories, celebrity interventions, and more finger pointing than the Trump/Clinton debate.
