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When did the incident happen?

In what county did it happen?

I handle cases in the following Michigan counties: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe, Lenawee, Hillsdale, Jackson, Calhoun, Ingham, Genesee and St. Clair.

In what city or township did it happen?

What are the charges against you?

Have you been in front of a judge or magistrate yet?

Yes
No

Do you have a court date, or a certain number of days in which to appear at court?

Yes
No

If so, what are the date and time, or how many days did they give you to appear?

If so, what part of the process is it scheduled for: that is, Arraignment, Preliminary Examination, Pre-trial, Sentencing, Violation of Probation Hearing, or don’t you know?

Have you ever been charged with any type of alcohol or drug offense before?

Yes
No

If so, what and when?

Do you want a restoration of your driver’s license?

Yes
No

If so, are you eligible for a hearing, or when will you be eligible for a hearing?


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First Things First

When you call about your drunk driving case, I will ask you some specific questions, so that I know where the case stands both "substantively" and "procedurally." Be aware that you should check both your ticket and your bond receipt to determine when you are supposed to appear in court. Some tickets simply say to appear within a certain number of days, but the bond receipt may give you a specific date that is earlier than the end of what you think is your time limit for coming to court. Many courts will not require you to appear for the first court date (called the Arraignment), if an attorney files certain paperwork with the court before the date you would otherwise have to appear. I will be able to do that for you in most cases.

Also be aware that if the police claim that you refused to take their chemical test (usually a breath test), you should have been given a form called a "Request for Hearing." That form must be mailed to the Secretary of State, at the P.O. Box address in Lansing that is stated on the form, within fourteen days of the date of the incident. I can help you complete that form, or draft one for you if the police did not give you one, and I can represent you at the Secretary of State hearing.

When you call, I will be glad to discuss my fee arrangements with you.

When you come in for your interview about your drunk driving arrest, I will take you through the incident "from before the start to after the finish," and I want to know everything that happened in between. You may not realize the significance of some small fact, and I won't know about it unless I ask you about it.

If you have lost your driver's license, and wish to get it restored fully, or at least on a restricted basis so you can drive to work or to school, I will ask you some questions about the history of how you lost your license, and I may suggest that I review your driving record before you make an appointment to come see me. Unfortunately, there are situations where the law simply will not allow the courts or the Secretary of State to give you relief. When you can go for a hearing, the Driver License Appeal Division (also called Driver Assessment and Appeal Division) has high standards for granting restoration of driver licenses. If you go to your hearing unprepared, and you lose your appeal, you will probably not be able to go back to DLAD (DAAD) for another year. I can help you prepare, so that we can present you in the most favorable light possible at your hearing.

Call Frank B. Ford, at 313-565-9289, for EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION WITH A PERSONAL APPROACH.

FRANK B. FORD
Attorney and Counselor at Law
5944 Dacosta
Dearborn Heights, Michigan 48127
Phone: (313)565-9289  |  Fax: (313)565-6717