Drinking and Driving (D&D) offences such as impaired driving, failing to provide a breath sample or a breath sample is over 80 mg are Criminal Code offences in Canada. A DUI (Driving under the influence) offence has dire consequences to both your licence and insurance premiums. If found guilty, harsh sanctions can be put into place that can affect your current job, future employment opportunities and your ability to travel.
You do not need to let one mistake affect your future. We have a team of Toronto DUI criminal lawyers that can help you avoid the disastrous mandatory penalties associated with impaired driving. Our team of DUI lawyers in Toronto will demonstrate strong attention to detail when it comes to defending you against your drinking and driving charges.
Drinking and driving charges are offences in the Criminal Code that have mandatory sentences even if you have no Criminal or Highway Traffic Act record. The minimum sentence for a first offence is a $1000 fine and a 12-month driving prohibition. For a second offence, the sentence is 30 days in jail and for a third offence, it increases to 120 days in jail. Aggravating features such as an accident, high breath sample readings or reckless driving can lead to penalties well above the minimum sentence. Our Impaired Driving lawyers will work tirelessly to win your case or to ensure the lowest possible penalty.
There are viable defences to drinking and driving charges. You can challenge allegations through a variety of methods which include:
We recommend that you consult with one of our firm’s Toronto DUI lawyers on the best steps to deal with your situation. You are entitled to seek consultation upon arrest or detention for advice and our impaired driving lawyers are eager to help with any advice that is required.
For a consultation with an experienced DUI lawyer in Toronto, call Mass Tsang LLP at 416-781-1148. With 20 years of total experience, our Toronto DUI lawyer service serves the Newmarket, Oshawa, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Milton regions and surrounding areas.
When the police have established reasonable suspicion based on roadside testing and/or observations that a person has been driving while impaired, they will place that person under arrest and bring them to the police station for further testing. Refusal to perform a test or provide fluid samples carries the same penalties as a DUI.
Impaired driving laws in Toronto are covered under Sections 320.11 to 320.4 of Criminal Code of Canada. Depending upon the specific circumstances leading to the arrest, DUI charges can fall under any number of parameters, including:
While the prosecution’s basis for establishing guilt for these charges vary, the end result—and subsequent penalties—are the same for any guilty finding.
The DUI charge of driving 80 Plus mgs BAC refers to a blood alcohol screening device reading that shows that the accused has more than 80 milligrams of alcohol present in every 100 millilitres of blood. Section 320.14(1) of the Criminal Code lays down exacting requirements for the collection of screening samples, whether through breath or blood. Screening devices need to be handled by a qualified technician whose findings are admissible in court as evidence. Testing must be conducted within two hours of the arresting officer’s initial detainment of the suspect, and individual samples can only be taken at 15-minute intervals. Given the strict legal requirements and other technical aspects of BAC testing, skilled DUI lawyers are adept at challenging all potential shortcomings of BAC results.
If convicted of a DUI offence in Toronto, or anywhere in Canada, the minimum penalties are as following:
The maximum penalty for all transportation offences – 24 months less a day on summary conviction, and 10 years on indictment.
Canada’s Criminal Code treats drunk driving as a serious criminal offence and other consequences of a conviction can include:
Finding a criminal lawyer experienced with all elements of impaired driving laws represents the best option for effectively beating a DUI-related charge. Every DUI case that comes before the court system has distinct differences that may offer any number of options with which a skilled DUI lawyer can strategize a winning defence. Additionally, a DUI lawyer has different defence strategies depending upon the DUI charges. For example, defending against a care and control charge is distinctly different than defending against an over 80 mgs BAC charge. Some of the more common defence strategies include:
The cost of hiring a DUI lawyer depends in large part on the complexity of the case and the amount of time needed to successfully defend the accused. Actual court time needed to hear most DUI cases is relatively short, though case complexities can increase court hearing time frames due to assorted motions that may be made as part of the defense strategy. Along with court time, a DUI lawyer will also bill for time preparing for the case and any payments made to outside research and/or expert witnesses as per the needs of the case.
An experienced DUI lawyer may be able to favourably resolve a client’s DUI charges without going to trial and/or by negotiating a settlement with the prosecution. If a DUI lawyer can identify a significant flaw in the Crown’s case prior to trial, he (or she) may be able to convince the Crown to drop the charges. Crown prosecutors generally resist outright dismissal of DUI charges unless the apparent flaw in their case is patently obvious, but may be willing to drop DUI charges for the acceptance of a guilty plea for careless driving. A skilled DUI lawyer is usually highly adept at working out arrangements that can be seen as a partial win by all parties—the defendant’s avoidance of a DUI conviction and criminal record balanced against the Crown’s potential for possibly losing the case at trial.
As previously suggested, Crown attorneys are not willing to outrightly dismiss DUI charges without compelling reasons. However, if there are definite flaws relating to the stop and detention, arrest, impairment screening methods, protection of charter rights, or any other elements of the case, a skilled DUI lawyer will push for dismissal.
Typically, the only way to get DUI charges dropped is to convince Crown prosecutors that their case is so flawed that they will end up losing the case in trial. If a DUI lawyer is convinced that the Crown’s case is flawed, but fails to convince the Crown to drop the charges based on the flaw(s), it will likely become a key point in the defence strategy at trial and could end up leading to a finding of not guilty by the judge.
As long as a person has not been charged with another offence, and meets other eligibility requirements, Canadian law does allow for the possible suspension or expungement of a DUI criminal record, which seals it from public view (though law enforcement agencies retain access to it). Applying for a record suspension can only be made five years after the conviction or guilty plea and may call for the skills of a DUI lawyer.
Yes, a guilty finding in a DUI case will definitely affect auto insurance. Many insurance companies will not provide or renew auto insurance of those found guilty of DUI, and insurance rates for those with a DUI are typically at least two times higher than standard rates.
Yes, under Bill C-46, Part 1 impaired driving offences were characterized as “serious criminality,” which is treated under Canadian immigration law as grounds for revocation of permanent resident status and subsequent deportation.
“To err is human, to forgive, divine,” wrote English poet Alexander Pope in 1711. Police are human and thus prone to making occasional mistakes, but they don’t have the authority to “forgive.” However, any mistakes they make while laying driving under the influence (DUI) charges can result in inadervent “forgiveness” for the suspect in the form of an acquittal, dismissal or other favorable outcome of the case.
Read MoreMost people would agree that penalties for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs in Ontario are severe and assume that the even harsher penalties for repeat DUI offenders serve as a deterrent. However, statistics on DUI repeat offenders suggest that despite harsher penalties for subsequent DUI convictions, many people who’ve had a first-time DUI still take the chance of driving while impaired.
Read MoreWhen people charged with drinking and driving (D&D) offences in Ontario contact our Toronto-area law offices for help, their first questions typically revolve around whether the charges can be beat. This makes perfect sense because DUI (driving under the influence) is a criminal offence that results in severe penalties with a finding of guilty. No one wants to have a permanent criminal record or be subject to extensive fines, loss of driving privileges, mandatory educational or treatment programs, and a host of other possible expensive and inconvenient repercussions.
Read MoreWhen you receive a DUI - the consequences go can far beyond possible jail time if you do not seek out skilled DUI Lawyers to fight your case. In recent news, a major story that has been circulating in Toronto has been about two Toronto police officers that were suspended from their job and charged.
Read MoreWhile Canadian impaired driving laws are designed to penalize drivers for operating motor vehicles while drunk or high on drugs, the regulations can inadvertently punish a driver who hasn’t consumed any alcohol or drugs. That is, if a sober driver refuses to comply with a law enforcement officer’s demand for roadside or police station screening for intoxication or drug use or willfully fails to provide a usable testing sample.
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Read MoreYour Greater Toronto Area defence lawyer will tell you that a conviction for DUI results in severe penalties that will negatively impact your life. Under Canada’s Criminal Code, impaired driving is a criminal offence that carries the stigma of a criminal record upon conviction. This alone represents a harsh punishment, given its potential effect on your employment, education, travel, and reputatio.
Read MoreIf you are pleading guilty to a drinking and driving charge, it’s important to understand the penalties you face. The DUI charges Burlington residents are often dealing with can be extremely severe. For example, blowing over 80mg, failing to give a breath sample, and impaired driving are all criminal offences. Pleading guilty and not fighting these charges in court will immediately give you a criminal record.
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