Drunk Driver Penalties - DUI Ottawa Criminal Defence Lawyer

Date: 28 Nov 1985

Drunk drivers rush to beat high penalties have taken his time with each person, he told The Citizen afterwards that he felt rushed. "It was like racking through a sausage grinder," he said. "I find myself in an awful situation ...imposing heavy fines and jail terms on the basis of 1 1/2 minutes of consideration. "There is not adequate time to deal with important issues. If you have a person who's addicted to alcohol, you feel you should spend some time to try to knock some sense into him. "You ought to take time to make the proper probation order and encourage them to follow it," he said. Fontana said he had no doubt the rush to plead now was due to the pending legislation. Under the legislation, which Ontario Attorney General Ian Scott hopes will be law before Christmas, first-time offenders will face a one-year suspension of their drivers' licences. A second impaired driving conviction will mean a two-year Iicence suspension, and repeat offenders will lose their licences for an indefinite period. First-time offenders now lose their licences for three months, and second offenders face sixmonth suspensions. The law now says a driver should lose his licence for three years for a third conviction if it occurs within a five-year period. Prosecutor John Wonnacott agreed the rush to court Wednesday was motivated by fear of the legislation. Gary Chayko, a defence lawyer, said some of his clients are pleading guilty now rather than risk a later trial.