Michigan courts routinely order anyone who has been convicted of an alcohol related offense to refrain from the use of alcohol. It’s also common for a person just accused of drunk driving, before any conviction, to be ordered not to drink alcohol. In order to enforce these orders the courts use several means of alcohol consumption detection. In this article you’ll learn how Soberlink works, its cost, and why it’s more effective than SCRAM.
Typically, courts will order that a defendant must submit to random breath tests at a JAMS location or it will order that a defendant must wear a SCRAM tether that will regularly take a sample of a person’s sweat usually every 30 minutes in order to detect alcohol. The SCRAM tether is invasive and must be worn on the body at all times – so it’s not the most practical option. And having to drive to a specific location for testing every day is extremely inconvenient.
SOBERLINK on the other hand allows for remote alcohol monitoring and combines the convenience of a Breathalyzer with the ability to not have a device secured to your body.
Facing DUI charges? Unhappy with your current lawyer? Request a free consultation now.
How does the SOBERLINK work?
The SOBERLINK combines breath alcohol testing technology with a cellular phone that sends breath alcohol test results directly to a cloud-based website for a probation department to review.
The device also contains a built in camera that takes a picture of the user during the test for identity verification. This technology allows for more accountability of the user.
How often a user will be required to test will be determined by the court and can be changed as needed.
Typically the user will test two to four times a day and he or she will receive automated text reminders of when the tests will be required. This reduces anxiety in the user of the fear of missing tests.
In addition, the probation department will receive automated daily, weekly, or monthly reports from the SOBERLINK website.
If there are any positive test results the probation department will be notified immediately.
What does the SOBERLINK look like and how much does it cost?
SOBERLINK is also convenient for the user to carry. The device is very similar in size and appearance as the PBT device that officers give a user on the side of the road. Or you could say it’s the size of a typical smart phone.
The SOBERLINK is less expensive than the SCRAM tether and PBT testing sessions at JAMS. The costs are as follows
– A SCRAM tether will cost the user approximately $15.00 per day
– Testing through JAMS will cost approximately $4.00 per test
– SOBERLINK is just under $10.00.
Requesting the use of the SOBERLINK device will appease the court’s testing conditions and offer the user more convenience than the tether or PBT testing.
With the SOBERLINK the user can swim, bathe, and pass through metal detectors without restrictions.
And because the SOBERLINK is a handheld device, users can provide a breath sample without having to travel to another location.
Ask your lawyer or probation department about one today.
Looking for a DUI attorney? Unhappy with your current lawyer? Request a free consultation now.
Barton Morris has been a well respected and premier attorney in Michigan for over 20 years. In every area of law he has practiced he has excelled to the top of his field always ensuring that his clients receive the highest and best level of service available. He is the principal attorney at the Law Office of Barton Morris which is comprised of a small number of attorneys all of whom share in his vision to improve the lives of their clients with superior service and exemplary results. When it comes to criminal defense, Barton’s reputation is stellar. He has been teaching lawyers all over the country as a faculty member of the DUI Defense Lawyer’s Association and as the President of the Michigan Association of OWI Lawyers. Barton is the only attorney in Michigan certified by the American Chemical Society as a Forensic-Lawyer Scientist. He is also the only criminal defense lawyer to present to the Forensic Science Division of the Michigan State Police at their annual conference. Barton was also the only chosen criminal defense attorney to present to the Michigan State Police’s Impaired Driving Commission on the issues of driving under the influence of marijuana. Regarding marijuana, he has also very well known and respected. Barton played an instrumental role in the legalization of adult use marijuana in Michigan with the successful Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in November of 2018 (he was also part of the failed campaign in 2016). Barton is currently the chair-elect of the Cannabis Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and will Chair that section in 2023-2024. He is the founder of the Cannabis Legal Group which has been delivering expert legal services to the commercial medical and AU industry since 2015. Barton has been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2015 and a Top Lawyer by DBusiness Magazine annually. He regularly appears as a guest legal commentator on Fox 2, Let it Rip, WXYZ, NPR, and WWJ. He is also regularly interviewed and quoted in the Detroit Free Press, Metro Times and MLive. But despite all of his accomplishments, he believes his most important are the amazing results he and his firm has and continue to obtain for his clients over the years.