February 2019

The City of Vancouver is considering a motion that would permit it to work with the BC Government and Vancouver Police Department in an attempt to withhold driver’s licenses for individuals who have unpaid bylaw fines for fighting and other bylaw offences.

NPA Councillor Melissa De Genova appears to have tabled a motion that suggests the City of Vancouver should try to withhold driver’s licenses from individuals who have not paid these fines. However, there is currently no statutory authority for this to be done. Her motion would have the City of Vancouver pressure the province to amend BC’s Motor Vehicle Act for the sole purpose of the City collecting more revenue.

It is unlikely this will happen.

If Weird and Wacky Wednesdays were a baby, I’d have carried it to term. So this week, I birth unto you dear readers three weird and wacky legal stories. The first involves our favorite source of entertainment in the world: Florida. A rogue suspended mayor for all the wrong reasons. Then, we look at one unique defence to a distracted driving ticket. Finally, we examine the case of a lawyer who needs a little lesson in personal hygeine.

Follow the link below to learn more about these strange and exciting legal cases.

There is still time to register for a webinar about new testing methods for drug-impaired driving. Kyla Lee, of Acumen Law, will host Drug Recognition Testing: Criminal & Civil Case Considerations on March 4 for the Trial Lawyers Association of BC.

New testing methods to evaluate impairment were introduced alongside the legalization of cannabis. The reality is we are going to see more and more drug-impaired driving cases both at criminal and civil trials. This online talk is aimed at providing both civil and criminal lawyers with a better understanding of these methods, including the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program.

This week on the Driving Law Podcast, I welcome back the wonderful Erik Magraken of MacIsaac and Company to talk about major changes to ICBC’s litigation strategy. In particular, we discuss new limits on the number of experts a person can have in their personal injury trial and a recent court decision that lambasted ICBC for its heavy-handed strategies in trying to force unreasonable settlements.

I’m also pleased to announce that the Driving Law podcast is now part of the Cannabis Media Collective!

You can listen online on SoundCloud, PlayerFM, or subscribe on iTunes!

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, we look at the case of how far one man will go for a box of crackers. Trust me, it’s way too far. We also look at the hilarious tale of a mistaken bomb threat in a Kansas Home Depot. And finally, we delve into the weird world of what illegal business takes place in the drive-thru lineup of Sonic Restaurants in Mississippi, and what steps the store has taken to combat it.

Click the link below to read the three weirdest and wackiest legal cases of this week!