Never plead guilty_® to impaired driving - DUI charges.

Never assume that you will be found guilty

Never plead guilty to any charge, and that includes impaired driving / DUI, until you are fully informed about the case against you. Find out if there is a way for you to keep your drivers licence and to avoid a criminal record. The best way to do that is to speak to an impaired driving lawyer.

If I failed the breath test, does that mean I'm guilty?

You might think that because you failed the breath test, you don't have a defence. That's not the case. Breath testing machines are only machines. They're not perfect, and machines make mistakes. So do the police officers that operate them. And when that happens, a Judge may never hear that you failed the breath test. That's because the test results can be excluded from the evidence against you. You'd be surprised how often this happens. Police officers make mistakes all the time.

But what if I was drinking and driving?

You might think that because you were drinking and driving you will lose. That's not true. First of all, it's not against the law to drink and drive. Impaired driving / DUI cases are complex, and there are hundreds of ways that an experienced impaired driving lawyer can win these cases. That's been consistently demonstrated at impaired driving trials all across Canada. Never assume that just because you were drinking and driving that you will be convicted.

Get informed about your charges

Never plead guilty to an impaired driving charge until you are fully informed about what a guilty plea might mean to you.

Find out if the prosecution can prove its case. Sometimes it can't, and when it can't the charges must be dismissed.

Find out if you have a defence to your impaired driving charge. There are many ways to defend an impaired driving charge, even if you failed the breath test and your readings were over the legal limit. Don't assume anything. What might seem insignificant to you may be the thing that keeps you from being convicted. Many people enter a guilty plea only to find out too late that they had an absolute defence to the charges.

Find out if you can enter a plea to a lesser, included offence. You may be able to plead guilty to reduced charges (like a traffic ticket) and keep your drivers licence. Once you have entered a guilty plea, it is difficult, and in some cases impossible, to withdraw it.

Finally, find out what the penalties are for an impaired driving conviction. You'll learn they are severe. Penalties for an impaired driving conviction include:

• A criminal record.
• Jail.
• Fines.
• Increases in insurance payments.
• The temporary, or permanent loss of your driver's licence.
• If you depend on your licence for work, you could lose your job.

Learn your options before you plead guilty. If you choose to plead guilty, you can always do so after you have received advice from an impaired driving lawyer.

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