257.625m Operation of a Commercial Vehicle While Intoxicated

257.625m Operation of commercial motor vehicle by person with certain alcohol content; arrest without warrant; violation as misdemeanor; sentence; “prior conviction” defined.

Sec. 625m.

(1) A person, whether licensed or not, who has an alcohol content of 0.04 grams or more but less than 0.08 grams per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine, or, beginning October 1, 2013, an alcohol content of 0.04 grams or more but less than 0.10 grams per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine, shall not operate a commercial motor vehicle within this state.

(2) A peace officer may arrest a person without a warrant under either of the following circumstances:

(a) The peace officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person was, at the time of an accident, the driver of a commercial motor vehicle involved in the accident and was operating the vehicle in violation of this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to this section.

(b) The person is found in the driver's seat of a commercial motor vehicle parked or stopped on a highway or street within this state if any part of the vehicle intrudes into the roadway and the peace officer has reasonable cause to believe the person was operating the vehicle in violation of this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to this section.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (4) and (5), a person who is convicted of a violation of this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $300.00, or both, together with costs of the prosecution.

(4) A person who violates this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to this section within 7 years of 1 prior conviction may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.

(5) A person who violates this section or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to this section within 10 years of 2 or more prior convictions is guilty of a felony and shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $500.00 or more than $5,000.00 and to either of the following:

(a) Imprisonment under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections for not less than 1 year or more than 5 years.

(b) Probation with imprisonment in the county jail for not less than 30 days or more than 1 year and community service for not less than 60 days or more than 180 days. Not less than 48 hours of the imprisonment imposed under this subdivision shall be served consecutively.

(6) A term of imprisonment imposed under subsection (4) or (5) shall not be suspended.

(7) Subject to subsection (9), as used in this section, “prior conviction” means a conviction for any of the following, whether under a law of this state, a local ordinance substantially corresponding to a law of this state, or a law of another state substantially corresponding to a law of this state:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (8), a violation or attempted violation of any of the following:

(i) This section.

(ii) Section 625, except a violation of section 625(2), or a violation of any prior enactment of section 625 in which the defendant operated a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating or alcoholic liquor or a controlled substance, or a combination of intoxicating or alcoholic liquor and a controlled substance, or while visibly impaired, or with an unlawful bodily alcohol content.

(iii) Former section 625b.

(b) Negligent homicide, manslaughter, or murder resulting from the operation of a vehicle or an attempt to commit any of those crimes.

(8) Only 1 violation or attempted violation of section 625(6), a local ordinance substantially corresponding to section 625(6), or a law of another state substantially corresponding to section 625(6) may be used as a prior conviction.

(9) If 2 or more convictions described in subsection (7) are convictions for violations arising out of the same transaction, only 1 conviction shall be used to determine whether the person has a prior conviction.

History: Add. 1991, Act 94, Eff. Jan. 1, 1993 ;--Am. 1994, Act 450, Eff. May 1, 1995 ;--Am. 1996, Act 491, Eff. Apr. 1, 1997 ;--Am. 1998, Act 347, Eff. Oct. 1, 1999 ;--Am. 2000, Act 460, Eff. Mar. 28, 2001 ;--Am. 2003, Act 61, Eff. Sept. 30, 2003 .