We got our hands on the Abbott SoToxa

The Abbott SoToxa is a government-approved saliva-testing device for use by police across Canada. Today, we can announce that Acumen Law Corporation is a proud owner of one of the devices.

We have added the Alere DDS2, which was renamed the Abbott SoToxa, to our growing collection. It is the latest device the federal government has approved for criminal impaired driving investigations as well as Motor Vehicle Act investigations and immediate roadside prohibitions in British Columbia.

Getting our hands on the Alere DDS2 was not easy. The device is not readily available to anyone not in law enforcement, probably by design. Nevertheless, we got one (we can’t tell you how but suffice to say it wasn’t easy).

What having an Abbott SoToxa means

We are excited about our new toy. You might be wondering what this means. We can now test the Abbott SoToxa and find out how it works and, crucially, what can go wrong. This knowledge will help us to defend our clients facing charges involving the Abbott SoToxa or Alere DDS2.

We believe it is unfair for the police and the Crown to hold all of the cards in impaired driving cases. Consequently, our clients deserve to know the reliability of the evidence used against them.

The government is holding up the Abbott SoToxa as a reliable and portable cannabis screening device. However, the government does not have a good track record of picking roadside drug-screening devices.

Our growing collection

For evidence of the difficulty the government has had selecting a roadside drug-screening device, look at the Drager DrugTest 5000. Critics of the Drager device, ourselves included, raised concerns about it, such as its high false-positive rate and the fact it only worked in temperatures above 4C, rendering it useless for much of Canada.

We were probably the first law firm to acquire the Drager DrugTest 5000 and our own tests highlighted some serious issues. We intend to test the Abbott SoToxa just the same.

Defending our clients is our main concern

At Acumen Law Corporation we build excellent defences because we know how the devices used to convict drivers inside out.

We are meticulous about researching how police devices work. We will probe the Abbott SoToxa for any flaws that might affect the outcome of an impaired driving case.

If you have been charged with impaired driving, call us today on 604-685-8889. We know the technology police use to convict drivers and how to defend against it.