Hillsdale DUI Defense Attorney

Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most aggressively prosecuted crimes in Michigan, and Hillsdale County is no exception. A single drunk-driving arrest can threaten your freedom, your driver’s license, and your reputation in the community. If you have been arrested for a DUI, contact a knowledgeable and experienced Hillsdale criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights and future so you can get back on the road as soon as possible.

At Grabel & Associates, we understand the anxiety that follows the sight of blue lights in the rearview mirror, and we have spent more than two decades turning that fear into a focused, strategic defense. Our statewide DUI team has represented thousands of clients. Yet every new case still receives the personal, small-town attention it deserves—especially here in Hillsdale, where local relationships and courtroom credibility can tip the scales in every case.

What Are Hillsdale, MI, DUI Laws?

In Michigan, MCL 257.625 sets forth the criteria for multiple alcohol- and drug-related driving offenses. The label “DUI” is often used generically. But in court, you may face the following charges:

• Operating While Intoxicated: If your blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08% or higher, you have any amount of a Schedule 1 controlled substance in your system, or you are visibly impaired from alcohol or drugs, prosecutors can charge you with operating while intoxicated (OWI).
• OWI High BAC: OWI with a high BAC, also known as “Super Drunk,” requires a BAC of .17% or higher and comes with enhanced penalties and a mandatory ignition-interlock once driving privileges are restored.
• Operating While Visibly Impaired: To prevail on an operating while visibly impaired (OWVI) charge, a prosecutor must prove only that alcohol or drugs “lessened” your ability to drive safely. No specific BAC threshold is required.
• Zero-Tolerance Violation: Drivers under 21 can be charged with any BAC of .02% or higher.
• Operating With the Presence of Drugs: In Michigan, operating with the presence of drugs (OWPD) is a strict liability offense for any detectable amount of certain controlled substances, even without obvious impairment.
• Commercial Driver’s License Offenses: For drivers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL), the prohibited BAC threshold drops to .04%, and a conviction can permanently end a professional driving career.

Each offense carries unique sentencing ranges, driver’s license sanctions, and collateral consequences. Understanding exactly which subsection of MCL 257.625 you are charged under often guides our defense strategy and posture in plea negotiations.

What Happens After a DUI Arrest in Hillsdale?

Most drunk-driving arrests in Hillsdale begin with a traffic stop on M-99, US-12, or one of the county’s rural two-lane highways. Officers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Post in Jonesville, the Hillsdale City Police, or the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office typically conduct standardized field sobriety tests (walk-and-turn, one-leg stand, horizontal gaze nystagmus) and may ask for a preliminary breath test (PBT). Refusing the roadside PBT is a civil infraction. Refusing the latter, DataMaster or blood draw, on the other hand, carries much steeper implied-consent penalties.

You will be booked at the Hillsdale County Jail, receive a citation, and be released on bond or personal recognizance. Your case’s clock immediately starts ticking:

• Arraignment: Arraignments are usually held within 14 days at the 2B District Court at 49 North Howell Street in Hillsdale. At the arraignment, we enter a plea of not guilty, challenge bond conditions, and request discovery.
• Pre-Trial Conference: During the pre-trial conference, we meet with the Hillsdale County Prosecutor’s Office to discuss suppression motions, treatment options, and potential plea reductions.
• Evidentiary Hearings: At evidentiary hearings, we contest probable cause for the stop, the reliability of the DataMaster DMT breathalyzer, and the blood draw’s chain of custody.
• Trial: If plea negotiations fail, felony third-offense DUIs are heard in the 1st Judicial Circuit Court before Judge Sara Lisznyai. Misdemeanors remain in District Court before Judge Megan Stiverson.

Our deep familiarity with local officers’ training records, the DataMaster maintenance logs housed at the MSP breath-testing unit, and Hillsdale County jury pools allows us to tailor defenses that resonate in this specific venue.

Understanding DUI Fines, Jail, and License Suspension

A first-offense OWI is a 93-day misdemeanor with fines up to $500, court costs, probation, possible vehicle immobilization, and six points on your Michigan driving record. The Secretary of State imposes a 180-day license suspension: a stiff suspension for the first 30 days, followed by 150 days of restricted driving.

• A first-offense Super Drunk conviction increases jail exposure to 180 days, raises fines to $700, and extends the license suspension to a full year, with a mandatory ignition-interlock once restricted privileges begin.
• A second OWI within seven years escalates to a one-year maximum jail term and triggers a minimum one-year “hard” revocation of your driver’s license. A third conviction in a lifetime is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a minimum five-year license revocation.

Alongside criminal penalties, expect skyrocketing insurance premiums, potential job loss (especially for commercial drivers), immigration consequences for non-citizens, and professional licensing issues for nurses, teachers, and pilots. Our role is to mitigate every layer of these possible consequences.

Defense Strategies That Work in Hillsdale County

Every case requires its unique defense. But there are several common strategies that we use to defend our clients across Michigan, including in Hillsdale successfully:

• Challenging the Stop: Hillsdale’s rural roads invite vague claims of weaving or improper lane use. Dash-cam video often proves otherwise.
• Field Sobriety Test Inaccuracy: Gravel shoulders, snow, physical disabilities, or poorly lit areas in Hillsdale County can all compromise test validity.
• Breathalyzer Calibration: After repairs, the DataMaster DMT must undergo accuracy checks every 120 days. We subpoena maintenance logs to expose expired or skipped calibrations.
• Medical and Dietary Defenses: Diabetes, GERD, and ketogenic diets can lead to false BAC readings.
• Blood Test Protocol: We scrutinize whether the phlebotomist used Betadine instead of alcohol-based swabs, whether the sample remained refrigerated, and whether the lab analyst followed gas chromatography standards.
• Rising BAC Argument: Alcohol absorption rates mean your BAC at the station may be higher than at the time of driving. We collaborate with expert toxicologists to help us explain the science to jurors.

Protecting Your Driver's License After a Hillsdale DUI

Refusing the post-arrest breath or blood test triggers an automatic one-year suspension under Michigan’s Implied Consent Law, MCL 257.625a. You have only 14 days from arrest to request a hearing with the Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight (OHAO), formerly the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD). We file that request immediately, gather the officer’s sworn report, and prepare you to testify. Winning at OHAO avoids the suspension of your driving privileges, and losing means we pursue a circuit court hardship appeal so you can continue driving to work or school.

Hillsdale County Sobriety Court & DUI Alternatives

Hillsdale County participates in Michigan’s sobriety court initiative, which is designed to reduce recidivism by integrating judicial oversight with substance-abuse treatment. Qualifying first- or second-offense defendants can obtain restricted licenses with ignition interlock, avoid lengthy jail terms, and receive intensive counseling. Grabel & Associates helps clients gain entry, demonstrating their genuine commitment to rehabilitation to the court.

Why Drivers Trust Grabel & Associates in Hillsdale

We aren’t one of these law firms that take every case they can handle. Each of our attorneys practices exclusively in criminal defense, and many of our attorneys, including founding attorney Scott Grabel, began their careers inside prosecutors’ offices, learning exactly how the State builds OWI cases. Our firm invests in what it takes to win these cases:

• Advanced Training: All our lawyers complete the National College for DUI Defense summer session at Harvard Law School and hold certificates in the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) curriculum.
• Cutting-Edge Resources: We own our own DataMaster unit for independent testing and contract with former state lab chemists for blood analysis rebuttals.
• 24/7 Accessibility: You can reach us any time, day or night, because police arrests don’t only happen during business hours.
• Team Approach: While one attorney leads trial strategy, others research suppression issues, coordinate expert witnesses, and handle Secretary of State licensing matters, ensuring no detail slips through the cracks.
• Local Credibility: Judges and prosecutors know we come prepared to try cases. That trial-ready reputation often produces plea offers unavailable to less-committed firms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hillsdale DUIs

Q: “Will I go to jail for a first DUI?”

Hillsdale judges rarely impose the 93-day maximum on a first offense, but weekend sentences, work-release programs, or jail alternatives like tether monitoring remain possibilities. Our goal is a non-jail outcome, often substituting community service and treatment for time behind bars.

Q: “Can I drive to my job after an arrest?”

Generally, yes, once the initial 30-day hard suspension passes (or immediately if we secure sobriety court admission). However, you must adhere to restricted hours and purpose-specific driving.

Q: “I hold an out-of-state license. Will Michigan suspend it?

Michigan cannot suspend another state’s license directly. Still, it can suspend your Michigan driving privileges and report the conviction to the National Driver Register, prompting action in your home state.

Q: “Should I have refused the breathalyzer?”

Refusal avoids an immediate evidentiary BAC but adds the risk of a one-year implied-consent suspension and can still be used as consciousness-of-guilt evidence. Each situation is different. Call us before deciding if you will ever stop again.

Q: “What if the officer never read me my Miranda rights?”

Miranda protections apply to custodial interrogations. Failure to advise you may block the prosecution from using your post-arrest statements, but it does not automatically dismiss the entire case. We evaluate this issue in every file.

Get Immediate Hillsdale DUI Defense Help

Facing a DUI in Hillsdale can feel like the whole county is lined up against you—uniformed officers, dedicated prosecutors, and even well-meaning friends who assume guilt. We stand between you and those forces, insisting on your constitutional protections, demanding proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and humanizing your story in a system that too often processes people like case numbers.

Contact our office now if you or someone you love has been arrested for drunk driving anywhere in Hillsdale County, whether in the city limits, on Baw Beese Lake’s winding access roads, or on the rural stretches of West Moore Road. Consultations are free, entirely confidential, and available 24 hours a day. We will review the police report, identify defense angles, and map out the fastest route to restoring your driving privileges and peace of mind.

Contact Grabel & Associates using our online form today. One traffic stop should not define your future. With the right defense team, it won’t.