Licence plate fight a waste of taxpayer's money says Moncton lawyer

A Moncton lawyer, who has built a practice defending clients charged with impaired driving, is headed back to court to try to keep his licence plates.

Wendell Maxwell says the province is wasting tens of thousands of dollars of public moneytrying to take his licence plates away from him.

• Wendell Maxwell wins court case

Speaking to the CBC'sMaritime Noon, Maxwell said hebuilt his law practice defending clients charged with impaired driving, and ordered personalized licence plates that read DUI DR, which stands for driving under the influence doctor.

The Registrar of Motor Vehicles in New Brunswick seized the plates, saying there had been complaints made.

Maxwell took them to court, and won back the plates. But now, the province is appealing the decision.

The appeal is scheduled to be heardOct.28.

"I just think it's irresponsible," said Maxwell.

They've got unlimited resources to drive an average, hard-working person crazy.- Moncton lawyer Wendell Maxwell

"I think the money they have spent on trying to get my licence plate could have been better spent on something that would benefit maybe the disabled or the people that have a hard time putting food on their table."

"Whoever made the decisions, it borders on incompetency, in my opinion."

There are rules that state personalized licence plates should not promote drugs or alcohol, but Maxwell says he's not doing that, he's telling people about his practice.

"I'm not advocating drinking while driving," Maxwell stated.

"That's what I do for a living, and I get referrals from all over everywhere to interview clients in respect to this particular issue, if they're charged. That's basically all I do."

Maxwell believes 'it's personal'

Maxwell says the province has gone as far as physically removing the plates from his truck, sending Commercial Vehicle officers to the parking lot at court in Moncton.

The officers waited until hehad entered a court room for a hearing, one signaling others in the parking lot by walkie-talkie when he was out of sight, according to Maxwell.

"I think it's a personal thing," says the lawyer. "I think that somebody up there, when the court ordered them to return the plates, they had obviously made promises to some of their buddies, and it backfired on them, and now they're throwing their weight around and they are forcing me to go to the great expense of going to the Court of Appeal."

While Maxwell declined to say how much he was spending on the court battle, he did put an estimate on what it's costing taxpayers.

"What the government spends is yours and every other citizen's business," he said. "I don't know how much they've spent so far but I would guess they could be in the $50,000range."

"The manpower they've used to get the plates off my car, the hours and hours the lawyers have spent, the days in court, it seems to me they could be doing something more beneficial to the citizens of New Brunswick."

Maxwell has the plates back after he won the first court decision, and they'll stay on his truck until the appeal is heard.

"I think it's tomfoolishness, I really do," he said.

"I think it's personal, they've got unlimited resources to drive an average, hard-working person crazy. Well, they're not driving me crazy, but they are sure making me spend some money."