Free Consultation: (248) 306-9158Tap to Call This Lawyer
Patrick T. Barone

Patrick T. Barone

Excellence in Criminal Defense
  • DUI & DWI, Criminal Law, White Collar Crime
  • Illinois, Michigan
Badges
Claimed Lawyer ProfileSocial Media
Biography

Patrick T. Barone is the founding partner and CEO of The Barone Defense Firm, whose practice is limited to zealously defending citizens accused of State and Federal crimes. The Firm is headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan, and also maintains offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Barone is an adjunct professor at the Western Michigan University's Thomas M. Cooley Law School and he served on the Faculty Advisory Board for BAC-Tracker International, Inc. Mr. Barone frequently lectures at national and state seminars attended by lawyers, judges, and scientists, and he has provided expert commentary in newspapers, on television and on the radio. In 2010 Mr. Barone accepted a position as a legal skills instructor for the CDAM/Cooley Trial Practice College, and in 2012 he graduated from the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College. In addition to “Defending Drinking Drivers,” Mr. Barone is also the author of “Michigan DUI Law: A Citizen’s Guide,” "Entrepreneur's Guide to Michigan Medical Marijuana Law," and "Armed and Educated, Michigan Gun Law." He has also authored chapters in Defending DUI Vehicular Homicide Cases, 2012/2014 eds., and a chapter in Witness Preparation and Examination for DUI Proceedings, 2015 ed.: Leading Lawyers on Understanding the Role of Witnesses in DUI Cases (Inside the Minds) (Aspatore Books). In 2022 Mr. Barone became a Board-Certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner of Psychodrama; an action method adapted to the courtroom and used by many of the Nation’s top trial lawyers for trial preparation and presentation. No other Michigan lawyer has this distinction. Patrick T. Barone has received much recognition and numerous awards including an “AV” (highest) rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and “Superb” and 10/10 by AVVO.com. Mr. Barone is included in the book “Best Lawyers in America,” and has been consistently named a “Michigan Super Lawyer."

Practice Areas
DUI & DWI
Criminal Law
Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
White Collar Crime
Fees
  • Free Consultation
  • Credit Cards Accepted
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    We understand that no one charged with a crime plans in advance for their legal fees. Because of this, nearly all cases are accepted on a flat-fee basis, and are all inclusive, with the only exception being trial fees and certain discretionary client fees, such as expert witness fees. Financing is available for attorney fees allowing clients to pay monthly toward their balance. We provide detailed fee agreement and finance documents so clients are fully aware of total fees charged and monthly payments in advance of the initiation of our representation. This way there are no surprises and clients can plan and budget accordingly for this unexpected expense.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Illinois
Supreme Court of Illinois
Placeholder image for jurisdictions.
Michigan
State Bar of Michigan
Placeholder image for jurisdictions.
6th Circuit
Placeholder image for jurisdictions.
United States District Court Eastern District of Michigan
Placeholder image for jurisdictions.
United States District Court Western District of Michigan
Placeholder image for jurisdictions.
Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Founding Partner / CEO
Barone Defense Firm
Current
Adjunct Professor
Western Michigan University Cooley Law School
- Current
Professor of law. Teach the Law and Practice of Intoxicated Driving Cases.
Faculty
Trial Lawyer's College at CDAM - Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
- Current
Adjunct Professor
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
- Current
Co-Founder & Psychodramatist
Michigan Psychodrama Center
-
President
Michigan Association of OWI Attorneys
-
Founding President of the Michigan Association of Operating While Intoxicated Attorneys whose mission is to assist lawyers, judges, juries, and citizens criminally accused of drinking and drugged driving offenses by increasing their understanding of the best-practices necessary to effectively advocate for those charged with violating Michigan’s drunk and drugged driving laws.
Faculty Advisory Board
BAC Tracker
-
Executive Editor
DWI Journal - Law & Science
-
Attorney at Law
Office of Patrick T. Barone
-
Associate
Schwartz & Jalkanan
-
Judicial Law Clerk
Oakland County Circuit Court
-
Judical law clerk
Oakland County Circuit Court
-
Judicial law clerk to the Honorable Richard D. Kuhn.
Education
Michigan State University College of Law
J.D. | Law
-
Placeholder image for education.
Oakland University
B.S. (1987) | Biology/pre-med
-
Oakland University Logo
Awards
America's Best Lawyers
U.S. News and World Report
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
American's Best Lawyers
U.S. News and World Report
Board Certified Trainer Educator and Practitioner of Psychodrama
American Board of Psychodrama Examiners
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Best Law Firms
US News & World Report
Best Lawyer
US News & World Report
Super Lawyer
SuperLawyers
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
Best Lawyers
US News & World Report
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Best Lawyers
U.S. News & World Report
Client's Choice Award
AVVO
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Lawyer Rating 10/10
AVVO
Best Lawyers
U.S. News & World Report
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
Board Certified Practitioner
American Board of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Leading Lawyer Advisory Board
Leading Lawyers in America
Best Lawyers
U.S. News and World Report
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
Best Lawyers/DUI/DWI
U.S. News & World Report
Super Lawyer
SuperLawyers
Best Law Firms
U.S. News & World Report
Best Lawyer DUI/DWI
Best Lawyers in America
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Super Lawyer
SuperLawyers
Best Law Firms
U.S News & World Report
Best Lawyer DUI/DWI
Best Lawyers in America
Leading Lawyer
Leading Lawyers in America
Advisory Board
Leading Lawyer
Best Lawyer DUI/DWI
Best Lawyers in America
Best Law Firms
U.S. News & World Report
Best Michigan Lawyers
Crain's Detroit Business
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
Top Lawyers in Michigan
DBusiness
Best Law Firms - DUI/DWI Defense
U.S. News & World Report
Superstar (of Persuasion)
Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers Magazine
Best Law Firms DUI/DWI Defense
U.S. World & News Report
2010 Best Lawyers in America
Woodward/White, Inc.
Best Lawyers in Metro Detroit
Crain's Detroit Business
2009 Best Lawyers in America
Woodward/White, Inc.
2009 Superlawyers
Law & Politics Magazine
2009 Best Lawyers in Metro Detroit
DBusiness
2008 Superlawyers
Law & Politics Magazine
AV Preeminent
Martindale Hubbell
2006 Award of Excellence
DUI-Help.com
Professional Associations
American Board of Psychodrama Examiners
Board Certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy (TEP)
- Current
Activities: Mr. Barone utilizes this certification when providing trial skills workshops for lawyers, workshops for lawyers and other professionals and non-professionals for personal growth and when offering business consultating for small and mid-size business owners and C-level employees.
Placeholder image for professional associations.
American Board of Psychodrama Examiners
Board Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy (CP).
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
Michigan Psychodrama Center
Co-Founder and Practicing Psychodramatist and Teacher
- Current
Activities: Teach psychodrama and associated trial skills to trial lawyers around the country. Also co-lead psychodrama workshops for personal growth.
Placeholder image for professional associations.
Michigan Association of OWI Lawyers
Founding Past President and Member
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
National College of DUI Defense
Sustaining Member
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
NACDL National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Member
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan
Member
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
Illinois State Bar
Member
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
Michigan Bar Association  # P44677
Member
- Current
Placeholder image for professional associations.
Publications
Articles & Publications
Defending Drinking Drivers 2022 Update
James Publishing
Breath Alcohol Tests in Michigan Can be 230 Percent Too High
State of Michigan Appellate Defender Office Criminal Defense Newsletter
Lawyer’s Guide to Michigan’s First Offense OWI Expungement Law
State of Michigan Appellate Defender Office Criminal Defense Newsletter
Winning Your Case with Effective Character Letters
State of Michigan Appellate Defender Office Criminal Defense Newsletter
Defending Drinking Drivers 2020 Update
James Publishing
Is This Really the Prosecutor’s Table? Advocating for the “Best” Seat in the Courtroom
State of Michigan Appellate Defender Office Criminal Defense Newsletter
Action Explorations: Using Psychodramatic Methods in Non-Therapeutic Settings
Parallax Productions
Defending Drinking Drivers (2019 update)
James Publishing
Michigan Gun Law: Armed And Educated
U.S. & Texas LawShield
May a Prosecutor Ethically Imply to Jury that Drinking Driver has Tolerance to Alcohol?
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
The Legality of Search and Seizure in DUI Cases, Leading Lawyers on Leveraging Science and Process to Develop Winning Defense Strategies
Aspator - Into the Minds Series
Entrepreneur's Guide to Michigan Medical Marijuana Laws
CreateSpace
Criminal Accusations Cause Health Care Professionals to Face Potentially Debilitating Collateral Consequences: Part One
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Criminal Accusations Cause Health Care Professionals to Face Potentially Debilitating Collateral Consequences: Part Two
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Defending Drinking Drivers - 2016 Update
James Publishing
Holy Spit! The Legislature’s Newest Effort to Pave Way for More Drugged Driving Arrests
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Guide to the DSM-5 for Substance Use Disorders
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Navigating the Waters of DUI Vehicular Homicide Law
DUI Homicide Inside the Minds (Aspatore Books)
Breath and Blood Tests in Intoxicated Driving Cases; Why They Fail to Meet Basic Scientific and Legal Safeguards for Admissibility
Michigan Bar Journal
Defending Drinking Drivers 2015 Update
James Publishing
Witness Preparation and Examination for Dui Proceedings
Aspator - Into the Minds Series
Voir Dire Breaking the Magic Spell When Judges Improperly Rehabilitate Jurors
Champion Magazine
Defending DUI Vehicular Homicide Cases 2014: Leading Lawyers on Understanding DUI Cases, Developing a Thorough Defense, and Negotiating Settlements
Aspator - Into the Minds Series
Ethically and Professionally Marketing Your Practice
The Warrior
Can Michigan Ever Derive a Valid Uncertainty Budget for Breath Testing
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Representing Heath Care Professionals Accused of Drug and Alcohol Related Crimes
Michigan Bar Journal
Michigan DUI Law - A Citizen's Guide
CreateSpace
Successfully Dealing with the Most Difficult Aspects of a DUI Homicide Case
Defending DUI Vehicular Homicide Cases (Inside the Minds)
Independent Juries: Liberty's Last Defense
Champion Magazine
A DUI Defense Lawyer Should Never be Required to Disclose Their Client's Prior Alcohol Related Convictions
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
A DUI Lawyer's Duty to Preserve Client Confidences Should Take Precedence Over Candor to the Court
DWI Law & Science Journal
A DUI Prosecutor's Ethical Obligation to Provide Favorable Discovery
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Advantages of Substance Abuse Treatment to the Drunk Driving Accused
DWI Law & Science Journal
An Unethical Lawyer and His Money Will Soon Go Separate Ways: How to Avoid Fee Agreement Disputes in Criminal Cases
DWI Law & Science Journal
An Unethical Lawyer and His Money Will Soon Go Separate Ways: How to Avoid Fee Agreement Disputes in Criminal Cases
DWI Law & Science Journal
Confronting the Chemical Test: Using the Confrontation Clause to Keep Test Results Out of Evidence
DWI Law & Science Journal
DUI Defense Column: Confronting the OWI "Per Se" Charge:
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
DUI Defense Column: Well Drafted Fee Agreements in DUI Cases
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Getting a High BAC Drunk Driving in 2010 will Really Blow!
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Michigan Driver's Find Insurance Difficult to Obtain After DUI Conviction
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Oakland County to Begin Virtual Work Release
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Raising and Preserving Independent State Constitutional Grounds in DUI Cases
DWI Law & Science Journal
Using Videotapes and PowerPoint to Persuade the Jury
DWI Law & Science Journal
An OWI Conviction May Bar International Travel
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Avoiding Claims for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in DUI Cases.
DWI Law & Science Journal
Breaking Through to the Two-Word Verdict
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Can the DataMaster Ever Accurately Measure Blood Alcohol?
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Casino Workers Shouldn’t Gamble with Drunk Driving
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
DUI and Deportation
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
EtG Tests Do Not Reliably Monitor Court-Ordered Abstinence in DUI Cases
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
General Due Process and the Importance of Assuring the Court’s Gate-Keeping Function in DUI Cases
DWI Law & Science Journal
Getting and Holding Jurors' Attention During Voir Dire
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Identifying and Eliminating De-Facto Experts
DWI Law & Science Journal
Michigan Among the States with the Most Drunk Drivers
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
SWOTing Your Way to Not Guilty
DWI Law & Science Journal
The Gun-Grabbing DUI Task Force: Loss of CCW Permit as a Collateral Consequence of Conviction
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Using Alcohol Biomarkers to Monitor Court Ordered Abstinence
DWI Law & Science Journal
When a Breath Test Refusal is Not a Refusal
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Asking the Jury for Justice
DWI Law & Science Journal
DUI Discovery and the “126-Day” Rule: A Defense Attorney’s Perspective
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Good Trial Practice is Simply a Complicated Exercise in Restraint
DWI Law & Science Journal
Heidi’s Law Removes 10 Year Look-Back for Felony Drunk Driving
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Identification of Transdermal Alcohol
DWI Law & Science Journal
Judge vs. Attorney Conducted Voir Dire
DWI Law & Science Journal
Keeping Your Head Above Water in DUI Boating Cases: A Lawyer's Guide to Michigan's Drunk Boating Laws
Michigan Bar Journal
May I Have Your Attention Please? Getting a Two-Word Verdict from a Two-Word Attention Span
DWI Law & Science Journal
New Breath Testing Rules Offer Accused Less Protection Against Unreliable Evidence
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Persuading Juries Using the Six Principles of Influence
DWI Law & Science Journal
Representing the Out of State Driver
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Serum Blood Defenses in DUI Cases: Why Serum Doesn’t Tell the “Whole” Story
DWI Law & Science Journal
The Brave New World of DUI Defense
DWI Law & Science Journal
The Current Status of Source Code Litigation
DWI Law & Science Journal
Two New Bills to Toughen Drunk Driving Laws
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Using Common Metaphors and Analogies to Win at Trial
DWI Law & Science Journal
Using Software to Assist the Jury in Understanding Alcohol Metabolism Calculations
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Using Your Client’s Disability to Cripple the State’s Case
DWI Law & Science Journal
"Get Your Program Here” DUI Breath Tests, Computers, and Dismissals — Part II, For The Defense
Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Crafting Winning Arguments for Your Next OWI Trial
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Does Anstey Suggest an Expanded Role for Michigan’s DUI Juries?
CDAM The Right to Counsel
Drunk Driving Defense 2006 Update
James Publishing
DUI Boating Offenses in Michigan: Which Defenses Might Float?
Michigan Beverage Institute Journal
False Positives or Faulty Science — SCRAM Strikes Back
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: Due Process Violations in SCRAM Cases
DWI Law & Science Journal
Source Code Defenses: Taking the ‘Byte’ Out of Breath Testing
DWI Law & Science Journal
The Sauce on Source Codes: Obtaining DUI Dismissals from Software Non-Disclosures
Michigan Beverage Institute Journal
Unlocking the Mystery Behind Breath Testing: The Right of Access to Source Codes
20 Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly 714
Why the Greenfield Opinion is a “Brown Field” for DUI Defendants
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
“Get Your Program Here” DUI Breath Tests, Computers, and Dismissals — Part I, For The Defense
Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Citizen's Handbook on Fighting a Drunk Driving Charge
The DUI Book, Michigan Edition
Do "Standardized" Field Sobriety Tests Reliably Predict Intoxication?
Michigan Bar Journal
DWI - Alcohol Monitoring Bracelets: Junk Science or Important Scientific Breakthrough?
Champion Magazine
Keeping Retrograde Extrapolation Out of Your Next OWI Trial
The Right to Counsel
Michigan’s Drinking Drivers Denied Justice when the Supreme Court Places Speed Above Due Process
The Right to Counsel
Understanding Modern Drunk Driving Law Enforcement, A Laymen’s Primer on Standardized Field Sobriety Testing
Michigan Beverage Institute Journal
Using the Confrontation Clause to Win DUI Cases
Illinois State Bar Association’s Traffic Laws & Courts
.08 and Other Changes: 2003 Changes to Michigan's Drunk Driving Laws
Michigan Bar Journal
Crawford Objections in DUI Cases: Paper Won’t Cut it Anymore
The Right to Counsel
Examining Michigan's New MIP Law
Michigan Beverage Institute Journal
Examining Michigan's New MIP Law
Michigan Beverage Institute Journal
Losing Blood and Liberty on America’s Highways: A Case Review
SADO Criminal Defense Newsletter
Michigan's New .08 Law Tightens Noose Around Drinking Drivers
Michigan Beverage Institute Journal
Using PowerPoint to Prove Your Point at Trial
Illinois State Bar Association's Tort Trends
Understanding Quantitative Blood Alcohol Testing in Drunk Driving Cases
Michigan Bar Journal
Speaking Engagements
Pressing the Not Guilty Button in Jurors' Brains: How to Create and Present Compelling Case-Themes That Leave Jurors Yearning to Acquit, Mid West DUI Seminar: WINNING: Blows, Stops & Trials
Michigan's New Super Drunk and Sobriety Court Laws, Mid-Winter Conference
Pushing the Not Guilty Button in Jurors' Brains, 2012 Public Defender Conference
Pressing the Not Guilty Button in Jurors’ Brains: How to Create and Present Compelling Case-Themes That Leave Jurors Yearning to Acquit, Advanced DUI Defense Seminar
Pressing the Not Guilty Button, Grad II: Spence Trial Lawyer's College
Trial Skills Workshop, Advanced OVI Seminar
Should You Tell Alcohol Tethers to SCRAM?, Criminal Law Seminar
Defending the Difficult OWI Case, Drug Recognition Experts
SCRAM, Mastering Scientific Evidence in DWI/DUI Cases
Not Guilty Button, Summer Trial College
Michigan DUI Expert Panel Presentation, Wisconsin Annual Drunk Driving Defense Seminar
Pharmacology of Drugs in Intoxicated Driving Cases, Spring DUI Seminar
Hero's Journey Intro to Storytelling, Trial Skills Workshop
Bibliodrama as a Warm Up to Psychodrama - Seeing Your Story in the Universal Story of Others, Trial Skills Workshop
Using the Fourth Amendment to Win Your DUI Case, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Summer Conference
Drug Recognition Evidence: The Science, The Law, & its Application in the Court, Michigan Judicial Institute's Regional Judicial Seminar
Preliminary Roadside Drug Testing, Webinar
Cross Examination of SFST in DUI Cases, 2022 Trial College
Preparing for Cross Examination, “Being an Effective and Credible Witness on the Stand: Through the Eyes of a Judge, Prosecutor, and Defense Attorney”, Zoom
PAAM - Prosecuting Attorney Association of Michigan
Fourth Amendment Law and Breath and Blood Testing in DUI Cases, CDAM Summer Conference - Fourth Amendment Law, Kalamazoo
CDAM
Certifications
Board Certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy (TEP)
American Board of Psychodrama Examiners
Board Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy (CP).
American Board of Psychodrama Examiners
B AC Tracker Software Proficiency Certification
National Forensic Science Consultancy
Basic Science of Evidential Breath Alcohol Testing
NPAS - Former Manufacturer of DataMaster DMT Evidential Breath Instrument
Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor
Walden, Platt & Associates
Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Student Practitioner
Walden, Platt & Associates
Websites & Blogs
Website
Patrick T. Barone's Website Profile
Website
Barone Defense Firm Website
Blog
Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Contact & Map
Barone Defense Firm
Birmingham, MI Office
280 N Old Woodward Ave
#200
Birmingham, MI 48009
Telephone: (248) 306-9158
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Barone Defense Firm
Troy, MI Office
2155 Butterfield Dr
#305A
Troy, MI 48084
Telephone: (248) 306-9158
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Barone Defense Firm
Clarkston, MI Office
39 S Main St #20
Clarkston, MI 48346
Telephone: (248) 306-9158
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours