Just last month we covered the story of Rima Fakih, the first Arab-American Miss USA and former Dearborn, Michigan, resident. She had been pulled over by Michigan police on Dec. 3 after police say that she was weaving in and out of traffic and driving nearly 60 mph. The arresting officer said that when he or she approached the vehicle, he or she found an opened bottle of champagne. The officer arrested the former Miss USA and discovered her blood-alcohol content was over the .08 legal limit.

Our earlier post noted that instead of going to trial and facing a jury, Fakih chose to plead no contest to operating a vehicle while visibly impaired, a misdemeanor that was modified from the original charges of having open intoxicants in her vehicle, careless driving and operating while intoxicated. She has now been sentenced and will serve 20 hours of community service and six months of probation.

Although the 26-year-old beauty queen could have served her probation outside of Michigan, she has chosen to remain in the community. She will talk with elementary and high school students in Michigan about how dangerous drinking and driving can be. Even the Highland Park City Attorney has commented on how it is more important that the former Miss USA is giving back to the Michigan community than to harshly punish her.

While driving with a blood-alcohol content over the .08 legal limit could land you in jail or with an operating while intoxicated charge, it is possible that a Michigan drunk driving attorney can secure a reduced and modified charge. Having a conviction on your driving record can have serious consequences and a lawyer can help to minimize that negative impact.

There is also more information on the former Miss USA in an earlier blog post.

Source: The Detroit News, "Former Miss USA Fakih 'relieved,' gets probation for drunken driving," Christine Ferretti and Josh Katzenstein, May 10, 2012