Big fine for woman driving with suspended licence

BARRHEAD - A woman caught driving with a suspended driver's licence received a hefty fine in Barrhead Court of Justice on June 11.

Renee Tanya Ford received a $6,000 fine from Justice Gordon Putnam after pleading guilty to driving while suspended or disqualified. The Crown withdrew an additional charge of driving without proper registration. 

Crown traffic prosecutor R. Rees said Ford was charged on May 4, 2024, with driving while disqualified under an IRS (immediate roadside sanction) for impaired driving under 94.1 (1) of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. 

Rees noted the minimum fine for the offence is $6,000.

Ford will have until June 30, 2025, to pay or face a potential 50 days in jail.

Ford had asked Putnam for 18 months to pay the fine. However, he said that as long the court sees that she is trying to pay the fine, she would likely be granted an extension if so needed.

She also asked when her licence would be reinstated.

Rees replied that the suspension would be for six months, and when her licence is reinstated, Ford would have to comply with the conditions as part of the impaired driving suspension.

Speeding

Lea Kayla Sound also received a $302 fine after pleading guilty to excessive speeding as part of a joint submission. The Crown withdrew an additional charge of operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

Rees said on Jan. 31, 2024, the accused was clocked going 136 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Grizzly Trail.

Sound's lawyer, Dave Hall, said his client was a single mother with three children, including a two-month-old infant, who is currently on maternity leave. He asked for six months for her to pay the fine.

"It is not something I usually do, but given the circumstances, you've convinced me," Justice Putnam replied. 

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com