Court: Charges OK if drunken driver busted in own driveway

NORTHVILLE (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court says a driveway is no refuge for a drunken driver.

The court says authorities could charge Gino Rea with drunken driving, even if his car never left the driveway.

The court says a driveway is “generally accessible to motor vehicles” under state law, even if on private property.

Northville police went to Rea’s home three times one day to respond to noise complaints in 2014. At one point, an officer saw him drive out of the garage and pull back in. His blood-alcohol level
was three times the legal limit.

In a dissent this week, justices Bridget McCormack and David Viviano say the court should be “hesitant to assume” that lawmakers wanted to extend their reach to the private property of homeowners.