Michigan DUI Playbook | Attorney Jonathan Paul
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Novi 52-1 District Court Second Offense OWI Oakland County Judge Bondy Law Reeds

5/13/2017

 
If you're charged with drunk driving in Michigan, you may decide to proceed to trial.  If you decide to have a trial by jury, the first part of the trial will be jury selection.

Once jury selection is over, the prosecution will make their opening statement, which will generally summarize the date and location when the Defendant was operating a vehicle.  From there the prosecution will tell the jury how the police made contact with the Defendant, how they knew the Defendant was driving, and what if anything did the Defendant say to the police.  Now the prosecution will talk about any field sobriety tests conducted and ultimately the arrest of the Defendant; once arrested the prosecution will tell the jury about either the DataMaster or blood test result.

Once the prosecution sits down, your attorney will make their opening statement, which will present your theory of the case, problems with the prosecution's case and reminders about the burden of proof.  It is important to make a great first impression with the jury, and gain their trust as their leader in examining the evidence.

The most effective method for making an opening statement is through the power of storytelling.  Your attorney should fully explore the entire arrest experience from beginning to end to fully understand your story.  Opening statement is an excellent time for your attorney to frame the issue and simplify the case for the jury.  This is not the time to get defensive about the evidence, but rather put forth a pro-active and optimistic view of the evidence.

One of the most important roles during opening statement is to clearly define the burden of proof, not as "did the accused commit the crime, or not commit the crime", but rather "did the accused commit the crime beyond a reasonable doubt".  Criminal trials are not 50/50; there are not two equal options, which the jury must be convinced, but rather only one option (beyond a reasonable doubt), which is either met or not met.

There are circumstances where your attorney may decide to reserve opening statement until the prosecution has rested their case; this is a rare situation, but could be highly effective.

Click here to read the Novi DUI Survival Guide


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  • DUI Playbook
  • Survival Guides
    • Oakland County >
      • Novi
      • Troy Clawson
      • Farmington Hills
      • Bloomfield Hills
      • Rochester Hills Auburn Hills
      • Royal Oak/Berkley
      • Southfield
      • Clarkston
      • Oak Park
      • Waterford
    • Wayne County >
      • Plymouth Canton Northville
      • Livonia
      • Westland
      • Dearborn
      • Woodhaven Brownstown Twp Trenton
      • Romulus Van Burn Twp Belleville
      • Wyandotte Riverview
      • Dearborn Heights
      • Taylor
    • Macomb County >
      • Clinton Township
      • Shelby Township
      • Warren
      • St. Clair Shores
      • Sterling Heights
      • Fraser Roseville
      • Chesterfield New Baltimore
      • Romeo
    • Washtenaw County >
      • Ann Arbor
      • Saline
      • Chelsea
      • Pittsfield Twp
      • Ypsilanti
      • Ypsilanti Twp
    • Lenawee County
    • Genesee County
    • Monroe County
    • Jackson County
    • Livingston County
  • Offenses
    • Operating While Impaired
    • Super Drunk | High BAC
    • Operating Presence Drugs
    • Operating While Intoxicated
    • Minor BAC | Zero Tolerance
    • DUI Expungement
    • OWI Child Endangerment
    • Felony DUI Third Offense
    • DUI Videos
  • Growth Mindset
  • Common Issues
    • Making Substantial Changes
    • Experience Change Model
    • Trial Videos
    • Can the prosecutor prove I was driving?
    • What are my bond conditions?
    • Out of State License
    • Surviving the Implied Consent Law
    • CDL Concerns
    • Field Sobriety / PBT
    • How to beat the blood draw
    • How to beat the Datamaster
  • 5-Star Defense
  • Contact Me
    • Our Team
    • Client Application
  • DUI Expungement
  • Prosecutor Confessions
    • Why I became a Defense Lawyer
    • OWI First Offense
    • OWI Second Offense
    • OWI Third Offense
    • Field Sobriety Tests
    • Implied Consent
    • Hardship Appeal
    • Chemical Tests
    • Sobriety Court
  • Courts
    • Oakland County >
      • More Courts >
        • Oak Park
        • Madison Heights
        • Hazel Park
        • Ferndale
        • Pontiac
        • Waterford
      • Novi 52-1
      • Clarkston 52-2
      • Rochester Hills 52-3
      • Troy 52-4
      • Royal Oak 44th
      • Southfield 46th
      • Farmington Hills
      • Bloomfield 48th
    • Washtenaw County >
      • Ann Arbor
      • Pittsfield Twp 14A1
      • Ypsilanti 14-A
      • Ypsilanti 14-B
      • Chelsea 14A3
      • Saline 14A4
    • Wayne County >
      • More Courts >
        • Redford
        • Lincoln Park
        • 25th District Court Ecorse
        • Wyandotte
        • Southgate
        • 30th District Court Highland
        • Hamtramck
        • Dearborn Heights
        • 32nd District Court Harper Woods
      • Livonia
      • Plymouth 35th
      • Allen Park
      • Romulus
      • Grosse Pointe
      • Woodhaven
      • Dearborn
      • Detroit
      • Garden City
      • Westland
    • Macomb County >
      • Center Line District Court
      • Clinton Township
      • Eastpointe District Court
      • Fraser | Roseville
      • Shelby Township
      • Sterling Heights
      • St Clair Shores
      • New Baltimore | Chesterfield
      • Warren
    • Livingston County
    • Genesee County
    • Jackson County
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  • Leading with Empathy
  • Reviews