A DUI charge in Sudbury can jeopardize your licence, career, and reputation. Whether you’re a professional, business owner, contractor, tradesperson, or someone in a vulnerable sector role, we defend impaired driving cases in the Ontario Court of Justice at 155 Elm Street. We serve clients across Greater Sudbury and Northern Ontario, including road, boating, and off-road charges.
DEFENDING DUI CHARGES ACROSS SUDBURY
Sudbury: Northern Ontario’s Legal and Economic Hub
Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario, serving as both an economic engine and a legal hub. All criminal impaired driving matters for the area are heard at the Ontario Court of Justice, 155 Elm Street. Clients here range from executives and licensed professionals to contractors, skilled tradespeople, and vulnerable sector workers—such as teachers, nurses, social workers, and healthcare staff—each with careers and reputations worth protecting.
Who Polices Sudbury & Surrounding Areas
- Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS): Handles charges within the city limits, including downtown, residential, and lakefront areas.
- Ontario Provincial Police (OPP): Enforces on highways and in rural areas throughout Northern Ontario, including Highways 17 and 69 and nearby communities like Chelmsford, Lively, and Val Caron.
Both agencies increase roadside stops during summer boating season and holiday RIDE programs.
City of Lakes: Road, Boating, and Off-Road Charges
With over 330 lakes within city limits, Sudbury sees impaired driving charges far beyond passenger vehicles:
- Boating: Incidents on Ramsey Lake, Lake Wanapitei, and numerous smaller lakes.
- Snowmobiles & ATVs: Common in rural and recreational areas.
- Cottage & Fishing Trips: Alcohol consumption during leisure activities can result in roadside or on-water testing.
We defend clients charged after a day on the water, at the cottage, or on trails, where enforcement is as strict as it is on public roads.
High-Stakes Clients: Professionals, Trades, and Vulnerable Sector Workers
Our Sudbury clients include:
- Professionals: Doctors, lawyers, pilots, accountants, engineers, educators—where a criminal record can affect licensing, travel, and public trust.
- Vulnerable Sector Workers: Teachers, nurses, social workers, healthcare providers—roles requiring a vulnerable sector check, where any criminal record can impact current employment or future opportunities.
- Business Owners & Executives: Those for whom reputation and operational continuity are critical.
- Contractors & Tradespeople: Especially in mining, construction, and industrial work, where a licence is often essential to travel to sites, move equipment, or operate machinery.
Whether you work in a classroom, a hospital, an office tower, or a mine site, a DUI conviction can create long-term professional, financial, and personal consequences.
Common Scenarios Leading to Charges in Sudbury
- Leaving a downtown bar or restaurant believing you were under the limit
- Driving the morning after an event, still over the legal threshold
- Operating a snowmobile, ATV, or boat after drinking or cannabis use
- Returning from a lakefront cottage, marina, or fishing trip
- Travelling home from a remote work site after a shift
- Being stopped at GSPS or OPP RIDE programs on major routes
Charges We Defend
“DUI” in Ontario includes several Criminal Code offences:
- Impaired operation (alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs)
- Over 80 (BAC over 0.08)
- Refusal or failure to provide a breath or blood sample
- Impaired boating, snowmobile, or ATV operation
What’s at Stake
- Criminal record
- Licence suspension and ignition interlock
- Significant fines; possible jail time for aggravating factors
- Higher insurance premiums
- Employment or licensing impacts, including vulnerable sector checks
- Travel restrictions, including U.S. entry bans
Our Approach to DUI Defence in Sudbury
We focus exclusively on impaired driving cases, handling files from both GSPS and OPP. Every case begins with a detailed review of:
- The legality of the stop or RIDE program
- Breath testing procedures, timing, and device maintenance records
- Charter of Rights compliance throughout the investigation
- Accuracy of observations and evidence interpretation
- Environmental factors present during roadside, off-road, or on-water stops
We build strategies for both negotiated resolutions and full trial defence, based on your priorities and the evidence.
Communities We Serve
We represent clients from Chelmsford, Lively, Hanmer, Garson, Val Caron, Coniston, Naughton, Falconbridge, Markstay-Warren, Espanola, and those travelling through on Highway 17 or Highway 69.
If You’ve Been Charged
If your future, career, or ability to work depends on your licence or on maintaining a clean criminal background check, early legal advice is critical. Contact us at 705-640-0125 for a confidential consultation about your Sudbury impaired driving case.
Wherever you are in Ontario, our DUI Lawyer Christopher Avery comes to you in person. We travel to your location and support you in Court to help you fight your DUI charge.
Charged with impaired driving, over 80, or another criminal driving offence in Sudbury? Your case will be heard at the Sudbury Courthouse at 155 Elm Street shown below.
We handle all administrative appearances for you, though you may need to attend your trial or resolution date in person.
SUDBURY COURTHOUSE
155 Elm Street, Sudbury ON P3E 6A5
