If there’s one thing nobody wants it’s a criminal record that will hang over your head for the rest of your life. Want a new job? You can't because you have a record. Want to rent a house? Are you kidding? You cannot get the house because you have a record. It doesn’t matter if it was a simple misdemeanor or a serious felony, you’re still going to carry the stigma wherever you go.If you find yourself facing charges of any kind in the state of Michigan, you need to contact the best criminal lawyers in Traverse City or Grand Rapids you can find. Immediately.When they tell you that you have the right to remain silent, it’s for your own good and you’d do well to heed that warning. Don’t say anything, don’t admit to anything, don’t offer any excuses. Keep your mouth shut until you’ve seen your lawyer.Many people find themselves in trouble when they’re charged with drunk driving. The famous DUI or OWI (operating while intoxicated), as it is sometimes called. Maybe you’ve had one drink too many, maybe not. Don’t tell yourself it’s your first offense and nothing really bad can happen. Yes, you might not go to jail, but you still risk losing your license and have a criminal conviction on your record.

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Finding experienced Michigan DUI lawyers can help you avoid any unpleasantness. Attorneys with many years of practice in this field know that the easiest way to fight a DUI charge is to challenge the evidence against you. You probably know that you’re required by law to take a breath test if the police stop you. What you may not know is that the police need probable cause to stop your car. They need to prove that they had reason to believe you were engaged in some sort of criminal activity or that they had witnessed a traffic violation. If you are caught speeding or skipping a red light, that is a reason to be pulled over. If the police had no reason to stop you, any evidence collected afterwards is inadmissible in court. They cannot use test results to prove that your BAC was over 0.08%. All they have is the officer’s story that you seemed drunk. A skilled Michigan DUI lawyer will have the case dismissed in no time. You’ll walk away with no fine and, most important, no conviction on your record.The same goes for other common offenses such as being in possession of illegal substances. There’s a big difference between being caught with marijuana and carrying hard drugs like methamphetamine or cocaine. And, just as in DUI cases, the police need a valid reason to conduct a search. A seasoned Michigan criminal defense lawyer will review the circumstances of your arrest to find any procedural error they can use. Any evidence obtained following an unlawful search will be tossed out and the prosecution won’t be able to prove their charge. You walk free.