Blog

This week, Weird and Wacky Wednesdays kicks off with the case of a man who dived off a BC Ferry and commandeered a life raft. I will give you three guesses as to why. Then, we examine what happens when a drug bust is a lot sweeter than expected. And finally, our attention is turned once again to a fantastic concept known as irony.

All this and more on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays!

In Episode Twenty of the Driving Law with Kyla Lee podcast, I speak with Paul Doroshenko about more information on the Drager DrugTest 5000. We also look at two interesting issues: the increase in deaths of motorcyclists in British Columbia, and examine the potential explanations for that; and the proposal in Alberta to use cameras to enforce vehicle noise laws.

You can subscribe on iTunes, or listen on SoundCloud or PlayerFM.

The Vancouver Sun recently published an op-ed piece, written by Dr. Patrick McGeer. He is an emeritus professor at the UBC School of Medicine and continues to conduct research in the field of neurology. Sounds like a smart guy. In his op-ed, he claims that cannabis legalization is harmful to Canadians. And he is wrong.

Not only has Dr. McGeer overlooked the numerous social benefits that will flow from legalization, but his article stinks of reefer madness. And it’s simply not supported by any scientific research. As a professional researcher and professor, I would expect more from the good doctor. But it appears that he is more interested in fear-mongering and scare tactics than publishing a reasoned and supported opinion.

So let’s break it down.

After the preliminary steps are done, taking first pulse and an initial examination, the DRE officer is then able to move on to the more complex eye examinations. The results of these examinations are said to be used to help the DRE officer determine whether a person is impaired by a drug, and identify the class of drugs that is causing the impairment.

Eye examinations are particularly interesting because they do not actually say much about impairment at all. What they do say a lot about is the condition of a person’s eyeball and whether that person may have suffered head injuries, has or is suffering a stroke or a seizure, or whether a person may have neurological conditions. Of course, a police officer is in no position to determine any of this.

So read on to find out the three types of eye examinations that are used in the DRE Evaluation.

This week, on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, we focus on how a series of bad decisions can seriously impact a person. From a lawyer who has not one but two troublesome marriages, to a man whose viral Internet fame cost him his employment, and finally to the case of a guy who tried to buffalo buffalo and ended up buffaloed in court, this week takes us through the interesting world of how one bad decision can lead to hilarious and then disappointing results.

On Episode Nineteen of the Driving Law with Kyla Lee podcast, I speak with Paul Doroshenko about common client questions we get in relation to driving prohibitions. In particular, we discuss what to do when you receive a driving prohibition for points and the various options available to a person who has already received the prohibition. The answers may surprise, and probably disappoint, you.

You can listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, or PlayerFM.

Once the interview of the arresting officer is done, the DRE officer is armed, largely, with the knowledge needed to start the evaluation. After all, they’ve already been told what the subject said and did and therefore are aware of what to look for. So at this stage the DRE officer conducts a preliminary examination and takes the first in a series of pulses.

This is the step designed to create a chaotic baseline so that impairment can be inferred.

This week we have a very sexy edition of Weird and Wacky Wednesdays. We cover off three separate cases that show you how sex, love, and marriage can get you in a whole world of trouble. First, we look at a case involving a woman in Vancouver who was allegedly sleeping with her lawyer after marrying another man for money. Then, a police officer in trouble for using his body camera in a more Kardashian-esque manner. And finally, we look at the case of a couple who got more meat than they wanted at a steakhouse dinner.