Criminal Defence

It is crucial to retain competent legal counsel early on in the criminal law process. It is important to know your legal rights and to know what the police can and cannot do in the investigation of your case. You have the right to remain silent. Use it. Typical police warnings upon arrest will be “you are not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say may be given in evidence.” This means that if you are properly cautioned and warned, and given the right to consult a lawyer, anything you do say to the police can be used against you in Court.

The criminal process can be extremely stressful. A criminal conviction can have life altering repercussions, including loss of job, family alienation and travel restrictions or jail. Restrictive pre-trial bail conditions can be imposed by the Court, including where you can or cannot go (or even returning to your own home), people with whom you cannot come into contact, to not being banned from the use of a computer or cell phone. You may be subject to a curfew or to an area restriction. And all of this can occur BEFORE you have been convicted of any criminal offence.

Our lawyers have experience defending clients accused of many different crimes, from shoplifting to murder to Stanley Cup rioters. We have also dealt with what are commonly referred to as “white collar crimes”, including accusations of corporate fraud, stock market manipulation, and other regulatory offences. We have expertise in civil forfeiture/proceeds of crime allegation and civil enforcement actions in respect to government attempts to seize and not return property.

Some areas of our practice include:

• Assault (including domestic violence)
• Bail hearings and reviews
• Breach of Trust
• Civil Forfeiture Proceedings
• Fraud
• Impaired driving
• Mischief
• Obscenity
• Property Crimes
• Robbery
• Sexual Assault
• Theft

Experience counts. Can you afford not to call to protect your rights and your future?