Engelduilaw

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of charges does Engelduilaw handle?

Engelduilaw focuses on drinking and driving law exclusively. Michael Engel takes on impaired driving, over 80, refusal to provide a breath sample, drug impaired driving, care and control, and dangerous operation charges, along with related appeals.

Where is Engelduilaw located and how do I get in touch?

The office is at 533 Queen Street East in Toronto's Moss Park neighbourhood, in a house built between 1884 and 1889. You can reach the firm by phone or email, and the firm's site advertises availability around the clock for people who've just been charged.

Will my case go to trial, or does Engelduilaw try to resolve it another way?

Michael Engel generally tries to work out a resolution with the Crown attorney's office before trial, but takes a case to trial when that's the better option. Engel has argued cases at every level of court in Ontario, from trial through appeals at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada.

I refused to provide a breath sample. Does that mean I'll be convicted?

Not necessarily. Engelduilaw's approach to refusal cases starts with examining whether the breath demand itself was lawful, since a demand made without proper grounds, or made too late, can be challenged. Each case turns on its own facts.

What's a "care and control" charge, and is it the same as impaired driving?

Care and control charges apply when someone occupies the driver's seat of a vehicle while impaired or over the legal limit, even if the vehicle never moves. Engelduilaw's site explains that a driver isn't automatically protected by staying parked, and that defending these charges usually means showing there was no real intention to drive.

Does Michael Engel have experience on the other side of these cases?

Yes. Before moving into private practice in 1988, Engel spent eight years as an Assistant Crown Attorney at Old City Hall, prosecuting a range of criminal matters. That Crown side experience is part of the background Engel brings to defending impaired driving cases today.