Effective Defence of Drunk Driving Charges in Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia
If you have been arrested for any drunk driving-related offence, do not plead guilty without first speaking to an experienced criminal defence lawyer.
Call me, Michael R. Shapray, at 604-800-4393. I have successfully defended clients facing all alcohol-related driving offences, including:
- Impaired driving
- Driving over 80
- Refusal to provide a breath sample
There are technical defences to all of these charges. The approach that is most suited to your circumstances depends to a great deal on the facts of your case and your criminal record, if any.
Protecting Your License
Every impaired driving offence involves both criminal charges and issues regarding your driver's license. For some clients, retaining the ability to drive is as important as or more important than any consequences related to the criminal charge.
I will fight to help you retain your driving privileges and to minimize the criminal consequences of a drunk driving arrest. If you have received a Notice of Driving Prohibition (the blue form), you have only seven days to file a request for a review of the 90-day driving prohibition.
To learn more about my impaired driving defence practice, please review a sampling of some of the results I have achieved for clients:
- Impaired driving results
- 90-day prohibition results
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA'S NEW DRUNK-DRIVING LAWS
A set of new drunk-driving laws billed as the toughest in Canada came into effect on the 20th of September 2010, aimed at removing drunk and dangerous drivers from British Columbia's roads.
Fewer than six months on and it's a little early to draw definitive conclusions on the legislation's impact. That withstanding there has been no lack of consequence to their implementation, with police chiefs reporting falls in drunk-driving deaths, while a class action law suit challenging the penalties given out under the new laws has been filed in Vancouver.
How the new drunk-driving laws work
The new laws made it illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol reading of more than 0.05. Previously the level would need to reach 0.08 before fines were imposed or vehicles impounded.
Restaurant owners and business leaders in Vancouver and across the region have labelled British Columbia as a 'zero alcohol state'.
D.U.I changes provide positive statistics tempered by alleged police negligence
Statistics provided by WVPD Chief Pete Lepine document a 23% reduction in traffic fatalities caused by drunk driving when compared to the same period last year. That's 20 deaths between October 2010 and January 2011, down from 26 in 2009/10.
Prompted by these figures British Columbia police chiefs have urged the government to resist being pressured into amending the new DUI legislation.
Pressure to amend the new laws intensified recently when the aforementioned class action law suit was filed in Vancouver. It cited negligent police use of the roadside breathalyzer device which determines a driver's blood-alcohol level.
The lawsuit alleges that up to November 19 police used improperly programmed breathalyzers to determine their readings, resulting in drivers being penalized when their blood-alcohol levels were below 0.05.
Criminal and DUI lawyers across Vancouver and the whole of BC are bracing themselves for a raft of related litigation and the case is likely to be heard in the British Columbia Supreme Court within the next three months.
Shapray DUI and criminal defence lawyers
If you are unsure of your legal rights, require legal representation or need some advice on any drunk driving or criminal law related matters in Vancouver, Shapray's highly experienced team of criminal defence and DUI lawyers will provide your solution.
Why Hire a Vancouver DUI Lawyer?
An experienced drunk driving charges defence lawyer can increase the chance of a positive outcome to your case. Just because you were arrested does not make you guilty. I will explore whether the arresting officers followed proper procedure, whether they were properly trained in the administration of the test, whether the breath test unit was properly calibrated, whether the blood sample was contaminated and many other possible defences.
To learn more about how I can help, please call 604-800-4393 or contact my law firm by e-mail. I have offices in Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia for your convenience.
