If you are charged with Fleeing or Eluding Police Officer 3rd Degree in Livonia, Michigan, you need the help of an experienced Livonia criminal defense attorney. I can provide you with nearly 20 years of experience and a willingness to fight and take cases to trial.
Fleeing/Eluding, 3rd Degree under the Penal Code is a class E felony that carries up to 5 years in prison (60 months). If you are arrested and charged with Fleeing or Eluding Police Officer 3rd Degree, your first court appearance will be an arraignment in the 16th District Court in Livonia, Michigan. Learn more about an arraignment now. At the arraignment, your case will be scheduled for a probable cause conference and a preliminary examination. Bond will also be addressed at the arraignment. The probable cause conference must be scheduled within 7 to 14 days of the arraignment with the preliminary examination scheduled within 5 to 7 days after the probable cause conference.
Following the preliminary examination, further proceedings are held in the Wayne County Circuit Court at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit. If there is virtually any evidence supporting the prosecutor's case, it is extremely likely that the matter will be bound over in the district court. Nonetheless, I almost always challenge cases at the preliminary examination because it is the best opportunity that the defense is presented for challenging the evidence and developing the facts that will support defenses in the circuit court. DO NOT WAIVE THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION WITHOUT MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION.
The charge of Fleeing or Eluding Police Officer 3rd Degree is detailed in the Michigan compiled laws, MCL 750.479a(3). The provisions of MCL 750.479a state:
(1) An operator of a motor vehicle or vessel who is given by hand, voice, emergency light, or siren a visual or audible signal by a police or conservation officer, acting in the lawful performance of his or her duty, directing the operator to bring his or her motor vehicle or vessel to a stop shall not willfully fail to obey that direction by increasing the speed of the vehicle or vessel, extinguishing the lights of the vehicle or vessel, or otherwise attempting to flee or elude the police or conservation officer. This subsection does not apply unless the police or conservation officer giving the signal is in uniform and the officer's vehicle or vessel is identified as an official police or department of natural resources vehicle or vessel.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3), (4), or (5), an individual who violates subsection (1) is guilty of fourth-degree fleeing and eluding, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) or (5), an individual who violates subsection (1) is guilty of third-degree fleeing and eluding, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both, if 1 or more of the following circumstances apply:
(a) The violation results in a collision or accident.
(b) For a motor vehicle, a portion of the violation occurred in an area where the speed limit is 35 miles an hour or less, whether that speed limit is posted or imposed as a matter of law or, for a vessel, a portion of the violation occurred in an area designated as slow--no wake, no wake, or restricted whether the area is posted or created by law or administrative rule.
(c) The individual has a prior conviction for fourth-degree fleeing and eluding, attempted fourth-degree fleeing and eluding, or fleeing and eluding under a current or former law of this state prohibiting substantially similar conduct.
(4) Except as provided in subsection (5), an individual who violates subsection (1) is guilty of second-degree fleeing and eluding, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or both, if 1 or more of the following circumstances apply:
(a) The violation results in serious impairment of a body function of an individual.
(b) The individual has 1 or more prior convictions for first-, second-, or third-degree fleeing and eluding, attempted first-, second-, or third-degree fleeing and eluding, or fleeing and eluding under a current or former law of this state prohibiting substantially similar conduct.
(c) The individual has any combination of 2 or more prior convictions for fourth-degree fleeing and eluding, attempted fourth-degree fleeing and eluding, or fleeing and eluding under a current or former law of this state prohibiting substantially similar conduct.
(5) If the violation results in the death of another individual, an individual who violates subsection (1) is guilty of first-degree fleeing and eluding, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a fine of not more than $15,000.00, or both.
(6) Upon a conviction for a violation or attempted violation under subsection (2) or (3), the following apply:
(a) If the individual was operating a motor vehicle, the secretary of state shall suspend the individual's operator's or chauffeur's license as provided in section 319 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.319.
(b) If the individual was operating a vessel, the individual's privilege to operate a vessel shall be suspended for a period not to exceed 5 years.
(7) Upon a conviction for a violation or attempted violation under subsection (4) or (5), the following apply:
(a) If the individual was operating a motor vehicle, the secretary of state shall revoke the individual's operator's or chauffeur's license as provided in section 303 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.303.
(b) If the individual was operating a vessel, the individual's privilege to operate a vessel shall be revoked for a period of not less than 5 years.
(8) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a conviction under this section does not prohibit a conviction and sentence under any other applicable provision for conduct arising out of the same transaction. A conviction under subsection (2), (3), (4), or (5) prohibits a conviction under section 602a of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.602a, for conduct arising out of the same transaction.
(9) As used in this section:
(a) Prior conviction means:
(i) For a violation of this section while operating a motor vehicle, the person had a previous conviction for a violation of this section while operating a motor vehicle or a previous conviction for fleeing and eluding under a current or former law of this state prohibiting substantially similar conduct while operating a motor vehicle.
(ii) For a violation of this section while operating a vessel, the person had a previous conviction for a violation of this section while operating a vessel.
(b) Serious impairment of a body function means that term as defined in section 58c of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.58c.
(c) Vessel means that term as defined in section 80104 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.80104.
(10) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Lieutenant Donald Bezenah law.
Fleeing or Eluding Police Officer 3rd Degree under Michigan sentencing guidelines is scored under crimes against public safety (Pub Saf). Under the guidelines, a person who is convicted of Fleeing/Eluding, 3rd Degree under the Penal Code with no prior record and no aggravating factors looks to the low end of the guidelines which call for up to 3 months. With no prior criminal record but horrible facts, the defendant can face 17* months. With a terrible criminal record and terrible facts, the accused can be looking at 38 months under the guidelines.
The jury instructions set forth the following elements for Fleeing/Eluding, 3rd Degree under the Penal Code that must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecuting attorney:
M Crim JI 13.6c Fleeing and Eluding in the Third Degree
(1) The defendant is charged with the crime of fleeing and eluding in the third degree. To prove this charge, the prosecutor must prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
(2) First, that a [police / conservation] officer was in uniform and was performing [his / her] lawful duties [and that any vehicle driven by the officer was adequately marked as a law enforcement vehicle].
(3) Second, that the defendant was driving a motor vehicle.
(4) Third, that the officer ordered that the defendant stop [his / her] vehicle.
(5) Fourth, that the defendant knew of the order.
(6) Fifth, that the defendant refused to obey the order by trying to flee or avoid being caught.
[Choose one or more of the following alternatives:]
(7) Sixth, that the violation resulted in a collision or accident.
or
(8) Sixth, some portion of the violation took place in an area where the speed limit was 35 miles per hour or less [whether as posted or as a matter of law].
or
(9) Sixth, that the defendant has a prior conviction for fleeing and eluding in the fourth-degree, attempted fleeing and eluding in the fourth-degree, or fleeing and eluding under a current or former law of this state prohibiting substantially similar conduct.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to focus on the jury instructions while preparing a defense to the offense of Fleeing or Eluding Police Officer 3rd Degree. While there are a number of defenses to Fleeing/Eluding, 3rd Degree under the Penal Code that we can explore during a consultation, the elements contained in M Crim JI 13.6c provide a roadmap for defending the case. This is true in almost every single case, and really great defense attorneys focus early on these jury instructions.
As a cautionary note, you might be completely innocent but still face criminal charges. Even worse, you might be denied bail, forced to spend months in jail before you are vindicated. I have seen many cases where a truly innocent client is baffled, angry and scared, completely unable to understand why police and prosecutors are gunning to get a conviction. So long as probable cause is established at the preliminary examination, then the matter will be bound over for trial in the 3rd Circuit Court for the County of Wayne and further proceedings will be held in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit. This is why it is so important that you contact an experienced Livonia criminal defense attorney to help you defend against criminal charges in the 16th District Court.
*represents an aberration under the guidelines that might result in county jail time or violate the 2/3rd maximum minimum rules under the guidelines, which is something that must be discussed with your attorney.