Inquiry: I was charged for driving under suspension. It arose when I was driving my sister’s vehicle, speeding, 104 kms in a 90 zone. My sister agreed to pay the fine but forgot. So, I drove under suspension without knowing. I have a signed letter from my sister, admitting the error. I received three charges because I wasn’t carrying my wallet. Driving under suspension, fail to surrender suspended license, and failure to produce valid insurance card. I went to court and they were willing to accept my guilty plea of driving suspended with a $300 fine. I was hesitant because I’m unemployed and was concerned about insurance rate increase. So the court offered to send me the case disclosure and set the trial for tomorrow. But I never received the disclosure! So, what do I do? Should I plead innocent and defend myself? Plead guilty with an explanation? Please help! Thanks.
Response: You may wish to have the matter adjourned to provide you time to hire a legal representative. A conviction of DRIVE UNDER SUSPENSION carries a mandatory 6 month suspension of licence. If you proceed to trial, the Crown Prosecutor will likely argue that you were aware of the conviction due to having been mailed a Notice Of Suspension from the MTO. If you would like to speak with one of our staff in more detail about your case, we offer a no-cost initial review of cases via our toll-free number 1-866-801-8299.
Sincerely,
Greg Currie
Office Manager (London)