Update: Covid 19’s Impact on Stream A Ignition Interlock Cases

I’m going to provide you with an update on how the Covid 19 Pandemic is affecting ignition interlock cases. That is for someone who wants to plead guilty for an impaired driving or dui charge and take advantage of getting back driving with an interlock on your car. As you may be aware from my other videos, for a person who wants to get back driving charged with a dui who intends to plead guilty you only have 89 days to plead guilty to take advantage to get the interlock back in your car for Stream A and then drive with it on for 9 months.

So what the Ministry decided to do, they brought a regulation in the summer because it was completely unfair for people charged in the summer during the Covid Pandemic. Were they hiring a lawyer? Was Stream a still on? There was a lot of panic. They said look, let’s extend this limitation period. So they’ve now extended it to 282 days. So for example, if you were charged in the spring or this summer you have 282 days from that date to plead guilty and take advantage of the Stream A Ignition Interlock which would mean then you need to sit out another 3 months from the date you plead guilty and then have the interlock on your car for 9 months after that. Well that’s all well and dandy, great I’ve got this limitation period but people want to get back driving. So people who want to take advantage of Stream A they’re still pleading guilty within the 89 days and then getting back driving but you have to bring in mind there’s some great deals because of the perception of delay in the system right now, there’s some great deals being offered on a lot of impaired driving cases. So you really should have a lawyer look at it before you decide to plead guilty and of course even if there’s not a deal offered you may have a defence that alert and spot that should head to trial with a reasonable prospect of being acquitted. So there you have it. It has been extended but you may wish to take advantage of it earlier or consider hiring a lawyer, you know what I need to have this looked at in case I can win my case.