Jerry Hopkins heads the Michigan Driver’s License Restoration Division at Hills Law Office and for 30 years worked at the Michigan Secretary of State office overseeing driver’s license litigation. Jerry answers driver’s license questions in this Q&A series reprinted from the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Q: I hear since you retired as a Driver Assessment & Appeals Division hearing officer, they haven’t hired a replacement and have gone to video hearings. Is that true?
A: Yes. Since I retired, Driver Assessment and Appeals Division (DAAD) decided not to reassign a specific hearing officer to hold “in person” hearings in the Kalamazoo / Portage area. For an “in person” hearing people will need to drive to Grand Rapids, Lansing or Livonia. You can have a video hearing from numerous sties around the state. The nearest video site for this area is located in the Secretary of State office in Portage.
Procedures for requesting a video hearing are different than requesting an “in person” hearing. DAAD randomly assigns hearing officers to hold video hearings so you don’t know which officer will be assigned. When I conducted hearings in Kalamazoo, attorneys pretty much knew what to expect when they appeared before me. Given these changes, I suggest that anyone requiring a DAAD hearing contact an attorney who is familiar with DAAD procedures.
If you have any questions about Michigan’s driver’s license laws or how to restore a suspended or revoked Michigan driver’s license, Contact Hills Law Office today.