Car(s) seized without charges laid???
 

Ok I heard some stuff on the radio briefly today, something along the lines of street racing or something - DO NOT QUOTE me on any of this - Im curious if anyone else heard this, and if so, what was said????

Flipping through stations I heard (Z103.5 maybe) the radio dude saying something like "authorities have the powers to seize a vehicle (might have also said "and crush them") under some *power* they have EVEN IF criminal charges were NOT laid". I have no idea if he also said that this is in relation to street racing or if officers suspect a car to be a street race car [dont ask me what qualifies as such]

I dont street race nor do I track race [I've always mainly been a cruiser - neck snapping acceleration from dead stop rocks and high end top speed doesnt do it for me, my rides have usually been torquey low RPM old heavy iron with some light cars built for rally racing, but mainly Im a cruiser and not a racer], but my concern lies in the fact that having yer ride pulled off the street and seized by authorities without charges of anything laid against you simply cuz they think yer ride might be (one day) involved in a street race/illegal activity worries me. Why? - well because I think that that leaves a huge opportunity for officers to abuse their powers and who's to say what a race car actually is anyways.

So mainly wondering if anyone heard that too (broadcasted Wednesday afternoon on June 20th) and what actually was said. If I heard the radio guy right -was he missinformed?, was he right? etc..???

TheStar.com - News - 'We will crush your car,' Bryant warns racers

Quote:
Likening speed shops that make street racers to illegal drug labs and bomb factories, Attorney General Michael Bryant is warning the cars could be seized before they even hit the roads.

Bryant threw down the gauntlet at street racers today in the wake of Monday’s Highway 400 accident, allegedly caused by racing, in which truck driver David Virgoe was killed.

“Somebody who’s putting together a … car for street racing might as well be putting together an illegal narcotic or putting together an explosive,” the attorney general told reporters.

“What I would say to anybody who is engaging in the illegal act of street racing is, we don’t need to wait until that car hits the road fully loaded,” said Bryant.

The attorney general pointed out that Ottawa and Queen’s Park have worked together to tighten up laws designed to curb street racing.

“We can seize that car if we have information from police and, just on the balance of probabilities, if we can establish that that car is being used for the unlawful purpose of street racing, we will seize it and you will never see it again,” he said.

“We will crush your car. We will crush the parts. You will never see it again.”

While Bryant declined to discuss details of Virgoe’s death or the case of three men charged in connection with it, he noted that Ontario prosecutors are making use of new provisions in the Criminal Code for street-racing offences.

Feel free to send him a note directly...


Ministry of the Attorney General - Let us hear from you

This is nothing terribly new here - Bryant is using scare tactics to appeal to an election audience.

For the record, they cannot destroy your car unless they can convince a judge, based on balance of probabilities, that the vehicle is being used for illegal purposes (street racing in this case). Regardless of the election-style grandstanding of our bone-headed AG, simply customizing a car is NOT grounds for seizure or destruction of the vehicle.

I sent some fan mail...


Thats the most rediculas thing I've ever heard...

They should be targeting the irresponsile kids in the family mini van...

next they will Crush your Hard-on cause women might get raped....:retard:

See this is again a person trying to get noticed and make personal headway for themselves by bashing on street racing. I don't know if any of the vehicles in the latest "alleged" street racing incident were even modified? He jumps on it and starts bashing modified cars and I doubt he's in tune with what the modified car scene is all about. Then he attacks the shops that do mods as if to say grandma's woody wagon can't get up to speeds that kill. I'll give you an example of people who get into these topics without homework..on flow 93.5 this morning they were talking about the AG's comments and they said basically he shouldn't be attacking modded cars cuz it puts enthusiasts in the same category as lunatics...great..then to show lack of knowledge they said, the cars shouldn't have "NOS"..umm..that ahh nitric..ahh..nitro...thingy or other in their car. I agree nitrous isn't necessary for street use but just trying to show that they didn't do they homework cuz they had no idea what "NOS" spells much less how it works. I appreciate their support very much but they needed more homework. Google is our friend.

So what does the AG do when confronted with a discussion about the incident that sparked this latest round of attack...Hmmm...man there's a long road ahead for the modded scene for sure and I see this being dragged though the mud over and over again.

Seriously man don't make those kinds of hurtful statements..lol

smell my fart

:angryfire WTF has this world come to...

There will be many upset car enthusiasts in Ontario. Some modifications not only increase hp and tq but they also can increase fuel efficiency. What modifications will be grounds upon which they deem the car to be taken off the road? What about the cars that already come with 300+ horsepower from the factory? This is an overreaction by the AG and I, like many of you, am really disgusted. Why make all car enthusiasts in Ontario suffer? What happens to a car registered outside of Ontario? Do the same laws apply? Personally, I believe the target should be the street racers themselves not the cars. Make stronger penalties against street racers to discourage them from street racing.

The criminal code provisions Bryant makes reference to here are in keeping with the sentiments of the majority here on this forum - they are intended to punish those who injure or kill innocent people, or put innocent people at risk of the same, while street racing. These provisions make perfect sense, and in no way can they be construed as persecuting anyone in the modded scene.

If you'd like to read the provisions for yourself, have a look at section 249 of the Criminal Code of Canada. <Click Here>

At issue here are the AGs comments which were deliberately targeted to cause the reaction that's the title of this thread.
The AG is doing his level best here to give the impression that police can permanently seize and destroy a car simply because it's been modified - without due process. This is simply not true.

Under the recently amended highway traffic act, police have the power to seize a vehicle for 7 days on only the suspicion of street racing. When this power is invoked, police must clearly outline and document the reason for the suspicion. An order for a seizure outside the initial 7 day period must come from an Ontario Justice in a related proceeding (charges laid).

Permanent seizure and destruction of a vehicle is governed by amendments to the Civil Remedies Act (section 11.2), and is possible only in a very limited set of circumstances. Your vehicle cannot be permanently seized and destroyed under any circumstances without due process.

For detailed source law, have a look at the Safer Roads for a Safer Ontario Act (bill 203) - this act amends both the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, and the Ontario Civil Remedies act. <Click Here>

Any questions, just ask. And I'd add my encouragement to that of others here - please share your thoughts on the AGs comments with his office.

From City Pulse

I HEARD IT AS WELL!!!

I thought I was losing my mind cause I couldn't get anyone else to back it up. I think he possibly meant without a conviction (which within itself is pure idiocy).

Seized and destroyed without conviction? Why not just throw the offender in maximum security without bail.

The province and the city would be surprised to see what extremes the public would go in retaliation if their cars were crushed...nothing to lose at that point.

He implies without charges of any kind - seizing and destroying them "before they hit the road".

I stress once again that Bryant is simply trying to scare people - your car cannot be permanently seized or destroyed without charges.

In fact, if you have a look at the relevant section of the Civil Remedies Act, it is very explicit in describing the circumstances under which the permanent seizure/destruction power can be invoked. One of the conditions states that your "driver’s licence has been suspended under the Highway Traffic Act for vehicular unlawful activity two or more times in the preceding 10 years."

Whats next?? I bet it's charging ppl with sealed liquor/beer in vehicles. Because you "might" drink and drive :retard:

Well if you go by the AG Bryants logic, they will just ban alcohol completely so you wont even have the option.

Im glad that others heard what I thought I heard, pheww, thought I was hearing things, looo

kazanak - I dunno what you do, but thanks for posting intelligent relavent information :smilie_da

Michael Bryant (AG) is in a rather powerfull position and it really sucks that he would blatantly lie to reporters and to the public about seizing cars before they hit the roads, especially since this is his chosen professional feild and should know better (or perhaps the guy is a tool and has'nt a clue about the law, in which case he shouldn't be AG).

This isnt the first time Ive heard about this guy. Architecht friends have bitched about this guy cuz he changed the building codes making things harder on architechts wanting them to pass HIS tests and such, when they have been self regulating to higher standards on their own (they are members of some architech group), so they bunted heads with him. He's apparantly also been involved in trying to cover up info to the public and won an award for "creating a curtain between the public and the courts", he also tried denying info to the public in relation to some colleague of his in cornwall who was molesting children years back (some other prosecutor or such) <-- these are just second heard things from good sources, who knows what other kind of mischief this dudes done.


Maybe someone should do a lil research on him, write a story and submit it to the media, even small media like the NOW magazine (they love that shite) and show the public this guys true colours and show everyone that he LIES. Perhaps just tell NOW mag to investigate this guy and point em in the right direction cuz they have better resources. FUKKEN PROPAGANDA - DISSINFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC - SOCIAL ENGENEERING - I hate this shite, why cant they just tell the truth, oh yea, cuz they're lawyers, lol. <--Ok I know all layers arnt bad and Im sterotyping (I have many family and friends in that feild, hell, I studied law myself for a while - I just coudnt help myself).