Do You Need a Criminal Lawyer for a DUI Charge in Calgary?
Receiving a driving under the influence (DUI) charge or related criminal charge can be frustrating and emotionally unsettling, especially when it restricts your freedom to drive or travel.
In Calgary and throughout Canada, thousands of individuals receive a DUI charge on their record, making it one of the most common criminal cases in the nation. Often, DUI charges end up applying to those who are neither drunk nor under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In these instances, it can be humiliating or even frightening for individuals to face associated negative experiences and challenges that come with receiving a criminal record.
For drivers who have received a DUI charge and have trouble fighting against unfair criminal offences, it’s helpful to contact a criminal lawyer in Calgary to help overturn these charges.
What to Know About DUI Impaired Driving
DUI impaired driving refers to individuals who are unable or considered unfit to drive due to the influence of drugs, one of the most common being alcohol.
In Canada, an individual cannot exceed 80 milligrams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood. However, a DUI charge can occur even if the individual in question is not under the influence but appears to be in an impaired state. This can lead to several consequences, such as fines, driver’s license suspension, a criminal record, or even life imprisonment.
What Can Result in DUI Charges?
Governmental laws and policies have blurred the lines between rights and restrictions when it comes to laying DUI-associated criminal charges. Some may be led to believe that they have the right to counsel before an arrest takes place. However, an individual no longer has the freedom to drive once a charge is made.
In Canada, this means that in certain situations, police authorities have the power to suspect and prosecute an individual for traffic violations and impaired driving offences, such as the following:
- refusal, or repeated refusals, to blow into a breathalyzer or “Approved Screening Device” (ASD) or take a breath sample
- continuous drifting or lane-changing
- stopping the vehicle multiple times
- substantially going above or below the speed limit
- smell of alcohol
- slurred speech or the inability to balance
In Alberta, police officers have the right to demand a driver to take breath samples, and not doing so can result in the suspension of your driver’s license for up to one year in any Canadian province. This can even apply to individuals who have not consumed alcohol or drugs.
In such a situation, criminal offences may be laid even when the individual has not exceeded 80 mg/100 ml in blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
What a Traffic Lawyer in Calgary Can Do For You
DUI charges can present several negative implications. Individuals who receive a criminal record as a result may lose their jobs, employment opportunities, or immigration status.
Once you are charged with DUI or related criminal offences, hiring a traffic lawyer in Calgary is vital to understanding the context behind your case and identifying if demands were made lawfully or reasonably.
Why Hire Criminal Lawyers in Calgary from Martin G. Schulz & Associates?
When faced with unlawful criminal offences and charges, hiring experienced traffic and criminal defence lawyers in Calgary who can navigate legal discrepancies to fight for your case is imperative.
At Martin G. Schulz & Associates, our team of knowledgeable criminal traffic lawyers can help reduce your sentence and appeal DUI charges. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to find the best possible next steps for you to take.