Could this happen to you? During a late night outing with friends, you consume a couple of glasses of wine. As you leave the nightclub and walk toward your car, you feel confident that you are sober enough to drive yourself a short distance home.
After all, you have done this very thing hundreds of times before. If your friends thought you were too intoxicated to drive, they certainly would have taken your keys and called you a cab, or would have insisted on driving you home themselves.
While driving, you notice there is a police car behind you, and the lights are flashing. A quick blast of the siren warns you to pull over. Your heart pounds as you slow to a stop. An officer walks over to your car and instructs you to roll down your window and turn off your engine. You hand him your licence, registration and proof of insurance. He asks the inevitable question; “have you consumed any alcohol this evening?” You admit that you have had a couple of glasses of wine, but you insist, “just two”.
The officer instructs you to step out of the car, and asks you to perform a series of roadside sobriety tests. Finally, he instructs you to blow into a machine. Within minutes you are sitting in the back of the police car and on your way to the police station. How is this possible? You’re now in a full -blown panic and you wonder if you are being treated fairly. You wonder if your rights are being violated. It was just a couple of glasses of wine, and now you’re being treated like a criminal.
Driving under the influence is one of the most common yet complicated of criminal charges. However, as most DUI lawyers know - there are an endless list of loopholes and exceptions that when discovered, presented and expertly argued in court, could overturn many DUI charges. Most often than not these cases are won, but only when you enlist the help of an experienced and specialized DUI lawyer.
It is important to know your rights concerning any legal matter, but it is imperative to be aware of your rights before you decide to get behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle, especially after consuming even the smallest amount of alcohol. The penalties in the province of Ontario for DUI are severe. |
