A “Super Drunk” or High BAC OWI in Michigan is one of the harshest first‑offense charges in the entire criminal code. The elements are the same as a standard OWI, except the blood alcohol level is .17% or higher. The penalties are extreme, the stigma is real, and the long‑term consequences can follow you for years.
Most people charged with a High BAC are not hardened criminals. They’re regular people who had too much to drink, made a mistake, or were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But once the BAC number hits .17 or above, the system treats you like a serious danger — and the punishment reflects it.
Penalties for a Super Drunk OWI
A High BAC conviction comes with some of the toughest penalties in Michigan:
• 45 days no driving at all
• 320 days restricted driving with an ignition interlock device
• Up to $700 in fines
• Around $1,000 in additional court costs and fees
• Mandatory alcohol treatment or education
• Up to 180 days in jail (rare, but possible depending on the judge)
• Up to 2 years of probation
• Embarrassing and unreliable interlock device (“blow and go”)
• Insurance increases that can last years
The interlock device is often the worst part. It can malfunction, lock you out of your car, or cause false positives — and every mistake becomes a probation violation or a new license sanction.
A Super Drunk charge is not something to take lightly. It is expensive, stressful, and disruptive.
Why You Must Fight a Super Drunk Charge
A High BAC OWI is not the kind of case where you hire a cheap lawyer, walk into court, and plead guilty. There is too much at stake. Prosecutors and judges treat these cases aggressively, and the penalties are designed to hurt.
This is the type of case where you need a lawyer who understands:
• the science of breath and blood testing
• how machines malfunction
• how police make mistakes
• how to challenge the stop, arrest, and testing
• how to take a case to trial when necessary
A “meet them, greet them, and plead them” lawyer will destroy your future. You need someone who actually fights.
Take Your Super Drunk Case to Trial
If the prosecutor offers no deal, take it to trial. Do not play the State’s game. Make them prove every element of the charge.
There are real defenses in High BAC cases:
• faulty breath machines
• contaminated blood samples
• improper blood draws
• chain‑of‑custody errors
• police mistakes
• human error in the lab
• rising BAC
• margin of error in testing
• constitutional violations
I have seen cases where the blood wasn’t even the defendant’s blood. I have seen officers admit to improper procedures. I have seen juries find reasonable doubt when the BAC was .17, .18, even .20 — because the science wasn’t solid.
If your BAC was .169, and a skilled attorney shows the jury that the margin of error is ±.02, that alone can create reasonable doubt.
The State wants you to fold. They want you to waive your rights. They want you to plead guilty so they can take your money, suspend your license, and put you on probation.
Don’t give them what they want.
The Reality of the Super Drunk Law
Let’s be blunt:
If you are charged under the Super Drunk law, you are in serious trouble.
You will be treated like a criminal.
You will be judged harshly.
You will be seen as a danger to the public.
But you are probably a decent person who made a mistake — and the law does not care. That is why you need a lawyer who understands the science, the procedures, and the courtroom strategy behind High BAC cases.
This is not the time to save money.
This is not the time to hire the cheapest lawyer.
This is the time to protect your life.
Courts in places like White Lake, Brighton, Howell, Hartland, Fenton, and Clarkston love to upgrade OWI cases to Super Drunk. They will not go easy on you.
Can You Beat a Super Drunk Charge?
Yes — but it is an uphill battle.
The court will look down on you.
The prosecutor will want the maximum.
The police will assume you are guilty.
The public will judge you.
But people do win these cases.
You can:
• challenge the breath test
• challenge the blood test
• request independent blood testing
• file motions to suppress
• file motions to dismiss
• take the case to a jury
• expose police errors
• expose machine malfunctions
And even if the evidence is strong, forcing the State to prove its case gives you peace of mind — and often results in a better outcome than simply pleading guilty.
If the prosecutor offers no incentive to avoid trial, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by fighting.
Protect Your Rights
The State wants you to waive your rights.
They want you to plead guilty.
They want your money, your license, and your freedom.
Don’t fall into that trap.
A Super Drunk conviction can affect you for years — maybe the rest of your life. You must fight it.
Call 248-882-0838
