The Mount Clemens courtroom was shoulder to shoulder yesterday, only for everyone to watch the finish line move again.
Sentencing for Eric Mandziuk, charged in connection with a September 2024 crash that killed 28-year-old Alex Tsatsos, was abruptly delayed, pushing the hearing to June 17, 2026. The judge gave Mandziuk and his attorneys more time to decide whether to stick with or withdraw his no-contest plea, and ordered that he remain on house arrest while the case drags on.
Prosecutors say the deadly crash happened on North Avenue near 21 Mile Road when Mandziuk’s vehicle crossed the center line and plowed into Tsatsos and two of his friends. Tsatsos was killed, and the two others were left with severe injuries. Investigators told police Mandziuk’s blood-alcohol content tested at 0.352, more than four times Michigan’s 0.08 legal limit.
He is charged with one count of OWI causing death and two counts of OWI causing severe injury. The judge reset sentencing for June 17, 2026, with court discussions putting a possible maximum sentence on the table at 86 months, as FOX 2 Detroit reported.
For the Tsatsos family, the postponement landed like a punch. They had packed the gallery with more than 50 friends and supporters, hoping this would finally be the day they heard a sentence instead of another new date.
"It just makes me sick to my stomach that he was driving and knowing he killed my brother," Alex’s sister, Rachel Miller, told reporters. His mother, Claire Tsatsos, called the drawn-out process "very emotional" and said the family is deeply frustrated that the case has stretched on. Father Jerry Tsatsos said every court appearance "tears us apart." Their anguish and the wall of supporters behind them were documented by FOX 2 Detroit.
Legal process and what comes next
The case is now scheduled to return to the Macomb County 16th Judicial Circuit Court in downtown Mount Clemens on June 17, 2026. At that hearing, the judge is expected to take up any change to Mandziuk’s plea and weigh the state’s sentencing recommendation.
The 16th Circuit handles felony cases for Macomb County, and the judge’s ruling on Wednesday effectively gave both sides more time to refine their positions on sentencing ahead of the new date. For courthouse location details, see Macomb County, and for the state’s drunk driving law, see Michigan Legislature.
Why the BAC level matters
Under Michigan law, a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 is enough for a per se OWI. The state also defines a "High BAC" or "Super Drunk" tier at 0.17, which carries tougher penalties and stiffer license sanctions. A reported BAC of 0.352 sits far beyond both thresholds, and defense attorneys say a number that high is almost guaranteed to shape plea negotiations and sentencing exposure.
For readers trying to follow along without a law degree, legal commentators generally note that higher BAC tiers can affect everything from minimum jail time to treatment requirements in OWI cases, and they often provide plain-language guides to Michigan’s OWI penalties.
Supporters who filled the courtroom on Wednesday say they plan to be back for the next hearing. For the Tsatsos family, the new date means yet another long month of waiting for a sense of closure. The case is set to return to court on June 17, when the sentence and whether the defense will stand by or withdraw the no-contest plea is expected to be decided.
