Charged with impaired driving in Toronto? Defence starts with the disclosure — not the breath reading.
Aaron M. Spektor has defended impaired driving, Over 80, refusal, and care-or-control charges in Toronto’s criminal courts for 30 years. Free consultation, answered personally.
Legally reviewed by Aaron M. Spektor, Barrister & Solicitor (LSO #51731A) · Editorial policy
- 30 yearsCriminal defence practice in Ontario
- Called 1997Bar of Ontario
- LSO #51731AVerify on the LSO directory
- All courtsThrough the Court of Appeal for Ontario
- 24/7Personal intake · (416) 599-1900
What does an impaired driving lawyer in Toronto do after a DUI arrest?
An impaired driving lawyer in Toronto fights two separate cases at once: the roadside licence suspension and vehicle impound under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, and the criminal charge under section 320.14 of the Criminal Code at the Toronto Courthouse, 10 Armoury Street. Aaron M. Spektor, called to the Ontario Bar in 1997, reviews the stop, the screening demand and the breath evidence before any plea is discussed, and can appear for you at routine court dates.
Answer by Aaron M. Spektor, criminal defence lawyer · LSO #51731A · called to the Bar of Ontario in 1997
- Charge/statute
- Impaired / Over 80 · Criminal Code s. 320.14
- Court
- Toronto Courthouse, 10 Armoury St
- Lawyer
- Aaron M. Spektor · LSO #51731A · called 1997
- First step
- Free consultation · (416) 599-1900 · 24/7
Why act quickly on a Toronto DUI charge.
An impaired driving charge in Toronto moves fast: a roadside stop, a breath demand, and within hours you are facing a criminal charge, an immediate 90-day licence suspension, and a court date. Aaron M. Spektor has defended these cases in Toronto for three decades — and the defence almost always begins in the disclosure, not on the night of the arrest.
Toronto lays more impaired driving charges than anywhere else in Ontario, largely through RIDE programs and traffic stops across the 401, the Gardiner, and the DVP. Aaron defends impaired driving and DUI charges at the Toronto Courthouse (10 Armoury Street) and the Toronto Region Bail Centre (2201 Finch Avenue West), and appears there continuously.
Because impaired driving is the most Charter-litigated offence in Canada, a careful review of the breath technician’s certificate, the instrument’s calibration, the timing of the demand, and your right to counsel frequently reveals a defence. If you have also been charged in a neighbouring region, see our Toronto criminal lawyer page or request a consultation.
What a conviction actually costs.
Ontario impaired-driving penalties (Criminal Code s. 320 and the Highway Traffic Act), current for 2026. A first conviction is still a permanent criminal record.
- 01
Immediate roadside consequences
A 90-day Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension and a 7-day vehicle impoundment apply at the roadside — before any finding of guilt.
- 02
First offence
Minimum $1,000 fine (rising to $1,500 and $2,000 at higher BAC readings, and $2,000 for a refusal), a one-year federal driving prohibition, and a criminal record.
- 03
Second and subsequent offences
A second offence carries a mandatory 30 days in jail and a two-year prohibition; a third carries a minimum 120 days and a three-year-plus prohibition.
- 04
Reinstatement conditions
Mandatory completion of the Back on Track program and ignition-interlock installation, plus dramatically increased insurance costs for years.
Every DUI case has a defence angle.
- 1
Breath-instrument and technician challenges
Calibration records, qualified-technician status, and the timing sequence under s. 320.31 — defects can defeat the reading’s presumptions.
- 2
Charter motions
Section 8 (search), 9 (arbitrary detention), and 10(b) (right to counsel) applications to exclude evidence at trial.
- 3
The roadside stop and demand
Whether the officer had grounds for the stop and the demand, and whether the approved-screening-device procedure was followed correctly.
- 4
Resolution without a record
Where the Crown’s case has weaknesses, negotiating a withdrawal, a reduction to careless driving under the Highway Traffic Act, or a stay.
How a DUI Lawyer in Toronto Handles Both Sides of the Case
The licence track and the criminal track run separately
The 90-day Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension and the 7-day impound are provincial measures that take effect automatically. They are not penalties imposed by a judge, and winning the criminal case later does not give those days back. An appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal exists, but only on narrow grounds, so the real work is on the criminal side. Getting your car back also means paying towing, storage and a reinstatement fee, whatever happens in court.
Mandatory alcohol screening since December 2018
Under section 320.27 of the Criminal Code, an officer who has lawfully stopped you and has an approved screening device on hand can demand a roadside breath sample without suspecting you have been drinking. Toronto Police Service RIDE checks along the Gardiner, Lake Shore and the 401 rely heavily on this power. Mandatory screening is not a blank cheque, though. Whether the stop was lawful, whether the device was actually there, and whether you were told why you were held all remain live Charter questions. Refusing the demand is a separate offence carrying penalties at least as heavy as a high reading, so it should never be treated as the safer choice.
Your first appearance at 10 Armoury Street
Since February 2023, Toronto’s adult criminal cases, including DUIs from North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke, have been heard at the Toronto Courthouse near Osgoode Hall. The first appearance is administrative: no plea is entered, the Crown begins releasing disclosure, and the Crown’s screening position is set out. Aaron can usually appear by designation of counsel, so you do not need to take time off work. Our guide to the first appearance and pre-trial stages covers what follows.
Why early review changes the result
Booking-room and breath-room video, officer notes and the screening-device records arrive in stages. Aaron reads them against the timeline before advising on a plea, a trial, or a resolution. Small gaps matter: when the screening demand was made, how long you waited for the instrument, and whether your call to a lawyer was facilitated in private can each affect what evidence the court will admit. Read more on our impaired driving defence page or in what happens next after a Toronto impaired charge.
Local court, handled daily.
Since February 2023, adult impaired driving charges laid anywhere in Toronto are prosecuted in the Ontario Court of Justice at the Toronto Courthouse, 10 Armoury Street, which replaced Old City Hall, College Park and the North York and Scarborough court locations. If you are held for a bail hearing, it takes place at the Toronto Region Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Avenue West. Aaron appears at both and knows the Toronto Crown’s office and bail courts. See our Ontario courthouse directory for addresses.
Impaired Driving / DUI
The full practice area — Over 80, refusal, care or control, and the Charter motions that win them.
Defence approach 02Criminal Lawyer Toronto
All criminal and quasi-criminal charges in Toronto and City of Toronto, not just this one.
Toronto defence 03Courthouse Directory
Addresses and coverage for the Ontario criminal courthouses Aaron attends.
View courtsResults in DUI matters.
Selected, anonymized outcomes. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome — every matter is assessed on its own facts.
What Toronto clients ask first.
Will I lose my licence right away for a Toronto DUI?
Yes. Ontario imposes an immediate 90-day Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension the moment an officer forms reasonable grounds, separate from the criminal case. We advise on minimizing the collateral driving consequences while the charge is defended.
How much does a DUI lawyer cost in Toronto?
Fees depend on whether the matter resolves early or proceeds to a Charter trial. Aaron gives a clear, flat-fee quote at the outset after reviewing the charge — the initial consultation is free. Call (416) 599-1900.
Can a first-offence impaired charge be beaten?
Often, yes. Because impaired driving is so heavily litigated, breath-instrument defects, Charter breaches, and disclosure gaps frequently create a path to a withdrawal, a reduction, or an acquittal. The right answer is rarely the fastest guilty plea.
Do I have to appear in court myself?
For most routine appearances Aaron can attend on your behalf. Attendance is required for trial and certain sentencing hearings. He explains exactly what to expect at the first meeting.
Charged in Toronto? Speak with Aaron today.
Free consultation. After-hours and weekend calls answered personally.