Consider yourself in a worst-case scenario: you were charged with a criminal offence, you are facing potential jail time, and your sentencing hearing is approaching. If this is truly a worst-case scenario, in all likelihood you are looking at serious jail time if your lawyer doesn’t pull something out of his or her hat. Your lawyer must have the right approach to a sentencing hearing to achieve the best result for you.
The burden of proof placed upon the Crown when you are accused of a crime is heavy – the Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Whether defending your home, your business, your family, or yourself, Canadians often believe that the law does not favor their efforts to defend themselves. It is true that the law is a little grey on the matter in places.
Parents who are unable to take care of their children face the prospect of losing them. But as a recent case out of southern Alberta has shown, parents could also face potential imprisonment for neglect. If you’ve been accused of neglecting your child, you need an Alberta criminal defence lawyer to begin building an immediate defence.
As the old saying goes, “a man’s home is his castle,” and the law attempts to protect people from unwarranted intrusions. Under the Canadian Criminal Code, home invasion is a variety of breaking and entering and is punishable by time in prison or a fine.
Fair and honest dealing is central to Canadian society. It is so important that anyone who defrauds the public or another person of property, money, valuable security, or service by falsehood, deceit or other fraudulent means may be prosecuted pursuant to section 380 of the Criminal Code.
Each year, thousands of people are involved in drunk driving crashes in Canada. Impaired drivers can cause extensive property damage--smashing into other cars, storefronts, and even people's homes. But the criminal justice system will get involved fast if you accidentally harm or even kill another person. At Bourdon Defence, we regularly represent defendants accused of causing a crash while driving impaired.
Teens and young children spend more and more of their time online, so it isn’t surprising that they fight online as well. Angry words that were once shouted in a school hallway are now likely to be expressed on social media pages like Facebook or Instagram.
An impaired driving charge carries the risk of fines and imprisonment. However, drivers will also experience another punishment: under the Traffic Safety Act, any driver charged with an alcohol- or drug-related offence will have their licence suspended.
Excited to try pot? Do you regret not sampling “reefer madness” while sitting in an abandoned parking lot in high school? If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has his way, you could be taking a toke from your first joint by summer 2018.