Craig DeRoche, former speaker of the Michigan House, has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to police, the former politician was so drunk he couldn't even stand up on his own.
Police responded to the scene in Saline after several witnesses called the station to report a man they saw drunkenly leave his car and walk up to a store. When officers arrived at the scene, DeRoche was stumbling around in the snow, and a breath test revealed his blood alcohol concentration was .249, more than three times the legal limit. A blood test was later administered at a local hospital, but the results of that test will not be made available for a few weeks.
It's a crime in the state of Michigan to drive with a BAC higher than .08 percent.
As of now, city attorney Allan Grossman has not filed charges against DeRoche, but DeRoche did say he would cooperate fully with the police and the courts.
One reason the police might be hesitant to file drunk driving charges against DeRoche is because they never actually witnessed him driving, they only received reports from others who saw him driving. Even in light of this DeRoche has taken full responsibility for his actions and said he plans to learn from his mistakes.
DeRoche was House speaker from 2005-2006, but had to leave office due to term limits.
Have you been arrested for OWI or DUI in Oakland or Wayne County? A Michigan DUI lawyer at the Law Offices of Freedman & Freedman can help. To learn more about our DUI defense services, please
contact the office to arrange a consultation to discuss your charges.