Driving With a Suspended License Charge – Going to Court

Driving With a Suspended License Charge – Going to Court (2022)

• Here’s what you can expect when you go to court for the first time for your Driving While Under Suspension charge.

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✅   Drive Suspend Penalty Test – This free 30-second test will assess your Drive Suspension risks and penalties when you arrive at your first court appearance.

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✅   Book a free, confidential meeting with lawyer, Dan Joffe – You’re facing a mandatory 6-month driving suspension.  Let’s stop that from happening.

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1/  Your court date will be online

• When you get charged with driving under suspension, the Police officer gives you a summons.
• On that summons, you’ll see that your appearance is required at a court on a specific date and time.
• What’s new in 2022 is that your court date will be online.  Most likely via Zoom. 
• In some courts in Ontario, your court appearance will be by phone.
• The connection details for your court date should have been given to you by the Police officer.
• If you do not have the connection details, then you should contact the court, and they will give you the information on how to connect.

2/  You have to attend

• • Your appearance in court, either on video or by phone, is not optional.

• You have to attend.

• If you don’t attend, you may be subject to further charges.
• And the court, without you knowing, will set a future court date for you.
• In the event that you miss your court date, you should contact the court to find out what happened and when your next court date is.

3/  This court date is not a trial

• • Your first court date for your driving while under suspension charge is not a trial date.
  • This court date is called a first appearance, because it is the first time you appear before the court for your case.
  • The primary purpose of this court date is for your charge to legally be transferred into the court’s jurisdiction.

• And for you to get the evidence.
• Finally, because this court date is not a trial, the officer that charged you will not be there.

4/  Get your evidence

• The key purpose of your first court appearance is to get the evidence that the prosecutor will be using to convict you.
• Your evidence will be included in a package called disclosure.
• On your court date, ask the prosecutor for your disclosure and make arrangements on how you can get it.

5/  You will get a new court date

• At the end of your court appearance, the Justice of the Peace will give you a new court date which you will have to attend.
• You get a new court date to give the Prosecutor time to send you the evidence.
• Make sure you write that new court date down in your calendar as the court will not send you reminders.

6/  You cannot record your court appearance

• The rules regarding recording court appearances are very strict and clear.
• You cannot record audio, nor can you record video.
• And, you cannot take any screenshots.
• If you do, you’ll be subject to very serious charges.