Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
On Friday afternoon March 7, a 68-year-old Santa Rosa man was arrested for driving on a suspended license after being pulled over while Petaluma police were conducting a special Habitual DUI Driver Stakeout Program. William Beall was arrested and was scheduled to be arraigned in Sonoma County Superior Court March 11, according to a news report at CBS San Francisco.
Beall had 19 convictions for driving under the influence over a 30-year time span accord to the article. The Habitual DUI Driver Stakeout Program is designed to target repeat DUI offenders in the county; police had recently received a tip that Beall was driving his Mercedes on a suspended license, according to Sgt. Jim Stephenson, who indicated that at the time police pulled Beall over he was not intoxicated. Police had been staking out Beall’s home and observed him driving away at around 2 p.m. on Friday.
In December of 2011 Beall was sentenced to three years in prison; he had allegedly violated his five year probation term for his 19th conviction for DUI by having alcohol in his home.
While news reports to not specifically say, chances are Beall’s driver’s license had been suspended due to multiple DUIs. Michigan drivers license reinstatement attorneys realize that for most people, it is simply impossible to live a normal life without the privilege to drive. While 19 DUIs is certainly excessive, many states suspend an individuals driver’s license at the time of a first DUI offense. In Michigan, a first DUI will result in drivers license suspension for 30 days, followed by 150 days of restricted driving.
There are various defenses often used on behalf of an individual who gets arrested for driving on a suspended license. Perhaps a family emergency made it necessary for you to drive, or you had not been give notice that your license was suspended. Police may mishandle an arrest, or stop you for no reason. Ultimately, in order to have your driving privilege restored or the suspension period reduced, it is necessary to consult with a skilled Michigan driver’s license restoration lawyer who is highly knowledgeable and experienced in the complex process of having a suspended or revoked license reinstated.