Mike Brandt’s client was charged with driving while impaired for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance. The charges emanated from a traffic stop occurring in November 2017 in St. Louis County, Minnesota. These potential charges carried very serious consequences for Mike’s client, who carries a professional licensure.
In preparation for the case, Mike carefully reviewed all of the evidence in the case, including the police reports, the results of the blood test, as well as all of the videos. Mike was able to point out several problems with the case in terms of the police officer’s lack of training regarding persons under the influence of controlled substances, as well as whether or not there was probable cause for the State to seek a blood sample. Additionally, Mike was able to consult with an expert regarding the level of controlled substances in his client’s blood which would not necessarily show she was impaired. Mike also had his client obtain a chemical dependency assessment, attend the class that was recommended, and Mike provided a great deal of information regarding his client’s personal situation—including letters of recommendation and documentation of her extensive volunteer work.
Based upon all that information, the prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge to Careless Driving. Mike’s client entered a plea of guilty to that amended charge, but the plea agreement called for the judge to stay adjudication. This means that no conviction was entered and the charge will be dismissed once his client completes one year of unsupervised probation. This resolution resulted in Mike’s client not having any sort of criminal conviction on her record and an eventual dismissal of the charge. This was very important because any criminal conviction would need to be reported when his client renewed her professional license.