How a Calgary DUI Lawyer Can Keep Your Rights Intacts

Alberta's new DUI laws were passed into effect nearly three years ago, but they have been stirring up controversy ever since. Earlier this month, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Thomas Wakeling ruled on a challenge to the impaired driving law that asserted it was unconstitutional.

The specific arguments used in the case aren't especially important to the average Calgary citizen, but the result is: the law stands, and drivers are at the mercy of Calgary Police, Crown prosecutors and the Calgary courts. Though many Calgary citizens, including Calgary DUI defence lawyers, continue to believe there are serious problems with Alberta's impaired driving sanctions, protests have fallen on deaf ears and your rights might still be in jeopardy.

Here's how the new, and newly upheld, DUI law might trample your rights, and how a Calgary defence lawyer can help.

DUI Charges Can Keep You Off Calgary Roads Indefinitely. A DUI Lawyer Can Intervene

A major part of the challenge raised against Alberta's impaired driving law centers on the fact that many DUI arrests and charges are supposed to result in an automatic suspension of the accused's driver's license, and that this suspension is supposed to last until charges are resolved by the courts. In other words, a Calgary driver who is accused of a DUI can have their license suspended even before they are determined to actually be guilty of impaired driving, which seems to fly in the face of the presumption of innocence that lies at the foundation of the Canadian criminal justice system.

Not only do these automatic license suspensions seem to negate Calgary citizens' rights to be treated as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but they can also create open-ended punishments without any time limit. Impaired driving cases can take as long as eighteen months to resolve, and a Calgary driver accused of a DUI can find themselves with their license suspended that entire time. Even if they are ultimately successful in beating the charge, they will have been without their license for a year and a half simply because they were accused.

While no Calgary DUI lawyer can guarantee a specific outcome, you are far more likely to be able to hold onto your license and mount an effective defence against an impaired driving charge by seeking an experienced defence lawyer as soon as possible. Armed with the a full knowledge of Alberta's laws, Calgary Police procedures, and the methods and strategies employed by Calgary's Crown prosecutors, a DUI defence lawyer is your most valuable asset in protecting your rights and getting your life back to normal after an impaired driving accusation.

Contact Calgary DUI Lawyer Susan Karpa for a Free Consultation

According to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, you're supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. You're also entitled to speak to a defence lawyer any time you're arrested or accused of a crime, including an impaired driving offence. Former prosecutor and dedicated Calgary defence lawyer Susan Karpa offers free consultations to all Calgary citizens accused of DUIs, call today and get the help you deserve.