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Have you heard about carding in Toronto? If you think it’s likely to happen to you or someone in your family, you need a #LegalSavingsPlan.
Carding
Carding is an action taken when a Constable On Patrol (just in case you ever wondered what COP stands for) stops you on the street and questions you. Information about you and the reason for stopping you are recorded and stored in police databases. If a cop stops me on the street and begins questioning me, I’ll stop and get my attorney on the phone even if it’s 2AM. Would you?
As an old white guy, I’m admittedly not as likely to be stopped but I still believe everyone deserves equal treatment and affordable access to legal advice.
It’s one thing to be stopped by police. My concern is the creation of a record that can be taken out of context and create hardship at a later date. I.e. being “carded“. You haven’t been arrested but you have been detained by a law enforcement officer. It’s time to call your legal service provider. I don’t care if it’s 2 in the morning, they should take the call. Mine does.
Legal Savings Plan
With a #LegalSavingsPlan, you have emergency access to a lawyer (attorney) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If yours doesn’t, I would suggest checking for an alternative. Luckily, we haven’t had the experience of being carded but my wife did have occasion to call for legal advice at 9:30am on a Sunday when she was in a car accident on the way to church. She called the legal service provider and a lawyer called her back within about 2 minutes. If you don’t have a #LegalSavingsPlan, unless you are the attorney’s biggest client, I suspect you won’t get that level of service. Your #LegalSavingsPlan usually makes you a preferred client.
Although I believe everyone should have a #LegalSavingsPlan, sadly, I especially believe anyone in Toronto, or any other city that has a habit of carding people, should have access to 24 hour legal advice. It just may keep people from being mistreated and being put into custody unnecessarily.
I hope this never happens to you. Be prepared.
Make it a great day,
Barry
P.S. What am I thankful for today? I’m thankful to be Canadian. I’m thankful for access to the justice system. I thank God every day for each breath I take.
What are you thankful for today?
Please share ...
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