Defending Your Calgary DUI Case
Your defence against an impaired driving or DUI charge in Calgary begins the moment you are pulled over or otherwise contacted by law enforcement. Failing to comply with lawful requests for roadside sobriety tests, including a breath analysis of your blood alcohol content or BAC, is now a criminal offence in and of itself and can result in an automatic license suspension.
In some circumstances, you must also answer questions asked by Calgary Police officers or other law enforcement agents regarding your identity, and again, failing to do so can result in further legal trouble. Beyond these requirements imposed by standard criminal investigation procedures and Alberta's impaired driving laws, though, you have the right to refrain from providing any further information, including responding to any questions, before you have consulted with a Calgary criminal defence lawyer.
It is typically in your best interest to exercise this right, and to contact a DUI lawyer as soon as possible.
How a Calgary DUI Lawyer Can Help Your Case
When you are arrested for, charged with, or simply accused of any crime in Canada, the law entitles you to consult with a licensed and experienced defence lawyer to ensure your rights are protected, and to give you every opportunity to defend yourself fully and effectively. Justice isn't served by pitting law enforcement officers and Crown prosecutors against average citizens with a limited knowledge of the law, and guaranteeing access to criminal defence lawyers provides balance, it ensures there is experience and knowledge is available on all sides of every case.
An impaired driving or DUI case is no different. Police and Crown prosecutors handle more than a thousand of these cases each year in Calgary alone, they unquestionably and understandably have more experience with impaired driving laws and with DUI cases than the drivers they charge. This is one of the reasons a substantial majority of drivers charged with a criminal DUI, a case in which their BAC was over .08, end up having their driver's licenses suspended for a year or more. Not knowing the rules and procedures dictated by the law, and not knowing the avenues for defence and mitigation that the law provides, many Calgary drivers are simply at the mercy of law enforcement and court officials.
With an experienced Calgary DUI lawyer by your side, you'll be better prepared to see and pursue other options. Though every case is unique and no specific outcome can ever be guaranteed, those accused of impaired driving tend to stand a better chance of putting these charges behind them quickly and completely when they partner with a defence lawyer to help them with their case. The knowledge an experienced lawyer brings to the table is something there simply isn't a substitute for.
Consult With a Calgary DUI Lawyer for Free
If you or a family member has been accused of a DUI, help is available. Contact dedicated Calgary DUI lawyer today for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss the specifics of your impaired driving case, and to see what options are available.