Nine-year-old ‘designated driver’ for drunk dad testified in court, sobs on the stand

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - “Black Velvet” whiskey is what Shawn Weimer’s nine-year-old daughter says he was drinking before he let her drive to a gas station in Brownstown Township.

It was an emotional day in court for the girl who served as a "designated driver" for her suspected drunk father.

Weimer’s daughter sobbed on the stand as she testified for the prosecution during Weimer’s preliminary exam Tuesday. He’s facing multiple charges including 2nd Degree Felony Child Abuse for allegedly allowing his child to drive his 2000 GMC full-size van on public roads around 3:00 a.m., Saturday, October 8.

On the stand, the girl testified that her Father has taught her how to drive four-wheel off-road vehicles and small motorcycles but that this was the first time she sat behind the wheel of his work van without sitting on his lap.

Weimer’s defense attorney, David Steingold, is hoping to get the felony dropped by the judge, leaving only a misdemeanor charge of 4th Degree Child Abuse. Steingold suggests that Weimer’s nine-year-old behind the wheel was not a hazard on the public roads because of the time of day and the girl’s ability to keep the vehicle on the road, use her turn-signals and follow her Father’s instruction.

Surveillance video shows Weimer’s daughter driving his full-size work van. It also shows him telling a store clerk that he’s ‘drunk’, then calling his daughter his ‘designated driver.'

On November 15th, the judge will announce his decision on what charges, if any, prosecutors will be allowed to continue pursuing.