Multiple drunk driving convictions will eventually land an individual before the Secretary of State for a license restoration. Yet, there are so many small hangups that can catch up with you at a license hearing that can keep you off the road for a very, very, long time. Consider the following nuance: To petition the State of Michigan for a restored driver license after multiple DUI convictions, a substance abuse evaluation must be performed; that evaluation must be accompanied by a 10 panel drug screen that the evaluator should perform as a part of the evaluation they conduct for you.

At a restoration hearing a few days ago, the hearing officer at the Secretary of State wanted to know WHEN the client's drug screen that accompanied the evaluation was conducted. Specifically, if the drug screen was done AFTER the actual question and answer portion of the evaluation was performed, there would be no way for the evaluator to take into account the drug test results into the paper portion of the evaluation. The fear, I suppose, is that a petitioner could do great on the evaluation itself but fail a drug test afterwards. If that occurred, then any written evaluation form that claimed you were “drug free” would be false and nullify the entire credibility of the evaluation.

On the other hand, if your drug test is done PRIOR to the completion of the written evaluation, then the evaluator can take into account your drug test results when completing the form. This order is the proper way to conduct an evaluation but is routinely missed by the evaluator. To ensure your driver license appeal is conducted properly, an experienced evaluator is key! Visit Attorney Joseph Awad at www.legalwins.com for a complete review and free case evaluation of your Michigan OWI/drunk driving case or to assess the merits of your driver license appeal. Don't do it alone!