Over the past several years, the Canadian public and law enforcement’s attitude toward marijuana use has become increasingly more lax, especially in urban areas. Although changes to current marijuana laws on the books are coming sometime in 2018, no one under the age of 19 is currently permitted to consume or possess marijuana in Calgary, Alberta.
If you’ve been convicted of impaired driving, you’ll need to participate in the Ignition Interlock Program, which is mandatory in Alberta. As part of the program, you must install an appropriate interlock device on your vehicle and demonstrate that you can separate your consumption of alcohol from your driving.
Under both provincial and federal law, you can be criminally charged for being intoxicated while in public. Specifically, under Section 175 of the Criminal Code, it is a criminal offence for an individual not in a private home to cause a “disturbance” – either by being drunk in public or while in close proximity to a public place.
If you have been charged with or convicted of a criminal offence in Calgary, it is usually not a good idea to take a “go-it-alone” approach. A good criminal defence lawyer can be your advocate throughout every stage of your criminal case and can make all the difference in the world when it comes to obtaining a favourable resolution of your case.
Sex offence convictions carry harsh penalties, and if you have been found guilty, you will likely be required to register with the Canada sex offender registry. You will also be required to regularly update your personal information with the registry on a regular basis.
In a nutshell, a plea bargain is a type of negotiation between a person who has been charged with a crime (usually represented by a lawyer) and a Crown prosecutor. Plea bargain agreements can take several forms.
Even relatively “minor” drug charges have criminal fines, jail time, and other potential penalties associated with them. Therefore, no criminal drug charge should be taken lightly, and time may be of the essence in your case. If you have been charged with a Calgary drug crime, you need experienced legal representation in your corner.
Driving Under the Influence – or Impaired Driving – is a Serious Offence in Calgary, Alberta.
In many ways, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is analogous to the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, when it comes to excluding evidence at criminal trials. If you have been charged with a crime in Calgary, Alberta, and there has been some indication that one or more of your rights under the Charter have been breached, you may be able to have the questionable evidence excluded at trial.
If you have been found guilty and convicted of a sex offence, you may be required to register with the Canada sex offender registry and update certain information with them on a regular basis. In addition, if you fail to register as required, you may end up facing new charges, not to mention harsher criminal penalties.