I recently got a ticket for failing to stop for a school bus. It happened on a 2-lane countryside road. I was heading south and the bus was going north. I didn't see the flashing light, and I didn't see the stop sign arm come out either. I was going about 55 - 60 km/h at the time in an 80 km/h zone, so no speeding was involved. Apparently there was a patrol car right behind me and the officer saw me do it and pulled me over within minutes. I had four passengers in the car who also said that they didn't see the bus and its lights/stop sign but it's my word against the police officer's so it probably doesn't help. I only have a G2 license because I'm from Europe and moved to Canada a couple years ago. They didn't let me exchange my EU license to a full Ontario license even though Canada is supposed to have signed a convention with all EU countries. I have had a completely clean driving record in Europe for 15 years and a clean record in Canada, too, ever since I got my G2 a bit over 2 years ago. I understand the seriousness of the incident and recognize that it's extremely important to stop for school buses when they are stopping. But the officer gave me a $490 ticket and 6 demerit points. It's not the money so much but the points that I'm concerned about. I don't want this to ruin my driving record and I don't want to get my license, which was so difficult to get in the first place, to be suspended because of this. It was my mistake, but no one got hurt and there was nothing else I did wrong - I wasn't speeding etc. So I want to fight this and have contacted a paralegal. Has anybody here had a similar case? What do you think are my chances? Also, I'm going to be moving out of Canada for a year very soon and wonder if I hire a person to represent me in court, do I still need to appear there myself or can the person representing me handle it completely without me? Thanks for your help and advice!
I recently got a ticket for failing to stop for a school bus. It happened on a 2-lane countryside road. I was heading south and the bus was going north. I didn't see the flashing light, and I didn't see the stop sign arm come out either. I was going about 55 - 60 km/h at the time in an 80 km/h zone, so no speeding was involved.
Apparently there was a patrol car right behind me and the officer saw me do it and pulled me over within minutes. I had four passengers in the car who also said that they didn't see the bus and its lights/stop sign but it's my word against the police officer's so it probably doesn't help.
I only have a G2 license because I'm from Europe and moved to Canada a couple years ago. They didn't let me exchange my EU license to a full Ontario license even though Canada is supposed to have signed a convention with all EU countries. I have had a completely clean driving record in Europe for 15 years and a clean record in Canada, too, ever since I got my G2 a bit over 2 years ago.
I understand the seriousness of the incident and recognize that it's extremely important to stop for school buses when they are stopping. But the officer gave me a $490 ticket and 6 demerit points. It's not the money so much but the points that I'm concerned about. I don't want this to ruin my driving record and I don't want to get my license, which was so difficult to get in the first place, to be suspended because of this. It was my mistake, but no one got hurt and there was nothing else I did wrong - I wasn't speeding etc. So I want to fight this and have contacted a paralegal.
Has anybody here had a similar case? What do you think are my chances? Also, I'm going to be moving out of Canada for a year very soon and wonder if I hire a person to represent me in court, do I still need to appear there myself or can the person representing me handle it completely without me?
You don't have to be there at all if you hire a paralegal. Your chances...depends on the evidence the officer is going to present. If he is going to say that the arm was out and the light was flashing...probably not good.
You don't have to be there at all if you hire a paralegal. Your chances...depends on the evidence the officer is going to present. If he is going to say that the arm was out and the light was flashing...probably not good.
With respect to Simon Borys, if you do not go to court or no evidence for your defence is provided at trial, chances are YOU WILL BE CONVICTED. The police officer is but just one witness and most likely, the bus driver will give evidence and I have not a single doubt their evidence will be that you failed to comply with s. 175(11) of the HTA. I believe that your presence or lack of it, will affect the perception of the court. Do all justices of the peace understand R. v. W.(D.)? If you or your witnesses do not plan to attend at your trial, it would be useless to hire a representative. Your chances of prevailing depend on many factors, one of which and perhaps the most important, the quality of you defence, that is if you are properly represented by an experienced paralegal/solicitor litigator. Review s. 175 carefully and particularly sub-section (11). Get disclosure and review it with an experienced paralegal/solicitor. You will have to prove that the bus driver did not comply with the HTA or that the bus' lights and/or stop sign were not visible, rather than you did not see them Cheers.
if I hire a person to represent me in court, do I still need to appear there myself or can the person representing me handle it completely without me?
You don't have to be there at all if you hire a paralegal. Your chances...depends on the evidence the officer is going to present. If he is going to say that the arm was out and the light was flashing...probably not good.
With respect to Simon Borys, if you do not go to court or no evidence for your defence is provided at trial, chances are YOU WILL BE CONVICTED. The police officer is but just one witness and most likely, the bus driver will give evidence and I have not a single doubt their evidence will be that you failed to comply with s. 175(11) of the HTA. I believe that your presence or lack of it, will affect the perception of the court. Do all justices of the peace understand R. v. W.(D.)?
If you or your witnesses do not plan to attend at your trial, it would be useless to hire a representative.
Your chances of prevailing depend on many factors, one of which and perhaps the most important, the quality of you defence, that is if you are properly represented by an experienced paralegal/solicitor litigator.
Review s. 175 carefully and particularly sub-section (11). Get disclosure and review it with an experienced paralegal/solicitor.
You will have to prove that the bus driver did not comply with the HTA or that the bus' lights and/or stop sign were not visible, rather than you did not see them
Not at all. The purpose of hiring a licenced representative to take the issue to trial is to ensure that the crown can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, not to "get the person off". The representative can ensure the crown does this with or without the defendant present. The defendant may want to appear to give evidence in their defence, but I wouldn't say this is a prerequisite to hiring a representative.
Biron wrote:
If you or your witnesses do not plan to attend at your trial, it would be useless to hire a representative.
Not at all. The purpose of hiring a licenced representative to take the issue to trial is to ensure that the crown can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, not to "get the person off". The representative can ensure the crown does this with or without the defendant present.
The defendant may want to appear to give evidence in their defence, but I wouldn't say this is a prerequisite to hiring a representative.
I got ticket for failing to stop at stop sign in Toronto. i heard that the police officer must see the stop line, if there is one, from where he was sitting. That is exactly my case, Is it a strong case? If so do i need a picture to show that there is a stop line and a picture to show that he could not see the stop line from where he was sitting?
I got a ticket, Disobey stop sign, sec 136.1.a on dec 6th
I made a left in an intersection and was pulled over by a police officer in an unmarked car who had been sitting down the road. A classic fishing hole situation. I was genuinely surprised when he stopped me and told me I went through a stop sign without even slowing down. I know to shut up and be polite and take the ticket. I…
Yesterday morning, I rear-ended someone. I was going the speed limit. The sun was directly in front of me and it blinded my windshield and my eyes. At the same time, the person in front of me stopped/slowed down (also due to the sun). I started to slow down but didn't stop and I hit them since I couldn't see anything. I was not driving too close initially. I…
I was driving in the county at night and hit a limousine stretched out side ways across the road. The limo had its lights on and had side lighting as well. The police officer charged me with careless driving because it was "fully lit up".
It took me to the next day to figure out what had happened - what I remember made no sense. What I had run across was a "false visual reference" illusion.
I was on hwy 37 trying to make my girlfriends ganadmas mass and I live an hour away and I had an hour to get there so I was going fast but not 50 over untill some idiot got on my tail soo close that I was to concentrated on him that I kept going faster untill I got pulled over at 147 on an 80 km hwy.
I alreaddy lost 3 points and this time was just the…
Hello, got stopped today for rolling a stop sign. Ticket says failure to stop, but quotes hta 1361b.
Doesn't 1361b mean failure to yield?
Is this a fatal error? Or could it be amended at trial. How can I prepare a defence if I don't know if I'm defending the failure to stop or the failure to yield?
After he was providing me with a ticket for failure to obey to the stop sign (I am pretty sure I stopped but less than 3 seconds recommended by my driver ed. instructor), I know everybody say that..as an excuse.
Then he stopped me again to return the documents.
Any advice and feed back would be really appreciated.
Can you get evidence for whether someone had an advanced green at an intersection? My dad was making a right turn on a red (after stopping) into a plaza parking lot. He got hit by someone making a left turn from the opposite lane. The driver told the officer called to the collision that he had an advance green. My dad said he came out of nowhere which makes me…
So i was driving on Eglinton Avenue East near Rosemount Ave.
The school bus was on the the curb on the opposite side of the road while i was travelling on the middle lane of the three-laned Eglinton Avenue East (five lanes apart plus a raised median island seperating the traffic)
I could not see the school bus as my view of the bus was being obstructed by the cars in front of me and on my left hand…
Lots of good information on getting disclosure from the Crown here.
Now, I am just wondering if I will be relying upon evidence of my own at trial... do I have to voluntarily send this material to the Crown in a reasonable time before the trial, or only if they request disclosure from me?
This morning I had an exam for university. I was studying the entire night and i wanted to catch like maybe 1-2 hours of sleep before the exam so i went to sleep. I woke up like 5 hrs after and realize that I was about to miss my exam. I still could have made it so I asked my dad for his car since I was in a huge rush and he gave it to me.
I went on the highway and I was going at 135 km/h but…
the police officer was in in the opesite oncumming lane he was fallowing another car so close that i was not even able to see his cruser till he was buy he said that i was going 111 in a 80 he said he hade me on radar he only asked for me drivers licencs and never asked for my insurence so on the ticket there no insurence dose enyone think i can beat this i wana take it to cort becuse he was…
Hi I have a couple questions so I'll explain my situation and any advice would be appreciated.
Can't remember exact date so lets call it some time in 2008 I got a fine for $5000.00 for driving without in insurance. I never paid the fine and in 2012 I was pulled over and the officer asked to see my license. Although I had it on me I figured it would be under suspension for the unpaid fine from…
Alright, so I did something really stupid the other day, I was driving down a country road and wanted to hit the curves so I passed 3 cars at once, inadvertently making it up to very much past 50 over (80 limit)... Much to my chagrin there was a cop coming in the opposite direction who immediately skidded on the gravel shoulder and who I thought was 100% going to turn around and pull me over,…
Anyone know how backed this courthouse is? I submitted my ticket for trial at the end of August, and still no letter. Im scared it got lost in the mail, can i call the courthouse and find out my courtdate? Or would i have to go in personally?
I recently received a ticket for failure to use low beams - while following - Ticket was issued Sec 168 (
- it was on the 401 and no one was within 500 meters of me, I was warning a oncoming vehicle that there was an officer hiding (which is not illegal or I could not find a law against it) it was a police vehicle travelling at very high rate of speed in the opposite direction with no lights on…
I received a warning letter from MTO for a 2pts ticket.What happened is that the police officer issued a "unsafe left turn" and then changed the ticket to "failed to signal" at the scene, but she submitted both tickets!!! And I !!!ONLY!!! received the latter ticket from her(I requested trial for "failed to signal"). I recently received notice from MTO that I'm convicted for "unsafe left turn".
Hello everyone! I was given a ticket for using a hand-held communication device while driving. It was 3 am, I was at a stop light and the cop saw me with the my phone in my hand. I told him i was just checking the time on it. I received the notes a few weeks ago ill copy them down below. Any help is appreciated although i believe there's no hope for me. The cop recorded me saying what phone i…
I got pulled over about 15 or so days ago the court till this date has not received the summons what is the legal time period that the court has to follow to accept the summons from the office court says its 15 days is the legal timeframe the officer has to serve it on the court
I requested for disclosure of information two months ago.
I received the radar manual after one month, but not others (including maintenance/calibration record of the radar, certificate of police training). On further pursuit, the prosecutor told me that he did not have them and he did not see why I needed these documents. He said he did not know where to get them when I asked.
Last Friday I was pulled over by an OPP motorcycle cop who informed me I was going 134. I was on the SB 404, I did see him parked under a bridge and when I passed him he was not on his bike.
I'm hoping to get some insight for a defense in this case.
I was in lane 1 and I had a car in front of me, and a car behind me, also there was a car speeding down Lane 3 passing everyone and moved quickly into…
