Are you looking for a Criminal Lawyer in Brampton, Ontario? Being arrested and charged with a crime can be one of the most stressful things someone can go through in their lifetime.

When someone is facing criminal charges, everything else from jobs to family obligations to relationships seems to take a backseat and no longer matter as they face the prospect of losing their freedom.

The stigma of a criminal charge or conviction can follow someone around for life, even long after they’ve paid their purported debt to society upon release from prison.

Those with criminal convictions in their past can face an untold number of obstacles when it comes to getting a job or finding a place to live.

Experienced Criminal Lawyers in Brampton

Top Experienced Criminal Lawyers in Brampton: Get Expert Defense

The ripple effect of one mistake can be devastatingly life-changing for not only someone found guilty of a crime but their families and friends as well.

If you’ve been charged with a crime in Brampton and you need to speak to a criminal defence lawyer, you can fill out the form on the side of this page to book a time to speak to a lawyer.

ClearWay Law can connect you with a Brampton criminal lawyer who will provide advice on how to best defend yourself against a criminal charge or worse, multiple criminal charges.

Do not wait to speak to a lawyer

When dealing with criminal offences, it’s imperative that you do not wait to speak to a lawyer. ClearWay can put you in touch with Brampton criminal defence lawyers who are affordable and experienced.

The question is, how much are you willing to spend to protect and preserve your freedom? Going to jail is no joke and can be extremely harmful to a person’s mental and physical health.

That’s why it’s vital to make sure you get represented by a good lawyer right away without delay. For serious or even minor charges, you might not want to hire a legal aid lawyer who has fifty other clients.

Aggressive Defense Strategies for Clients

Even worse, you might not qualify for legal aid and be on your own when it comes to finding a lawyer after being charged with a crime. In a situation where your freedom and your future are at stake, it almost goes without saying that you need proper personalized representation when going up against the state in a criminal court.

According to the Region of Peel, crime rates in Brampton and nearby municipalities steadily dropped between 2006 and 2017, except for a slight uptick between 2016 and 2017.

“Over the past 10 years there has been a general decline in overall crime rates for Canada, Ontario and Peel Region,” the regional government noted. “From 2016-2017, the crime rate for Ontario, Mississauga and Brampton had a slight increase.”

However, those numbers only refer to crimes that get reported and could mask the actual rate of crime in the city, which had a population of more than 656,000 people, according to the 2021 Canadian census.

What to Do if You’re Arrested in Brampton

Brampton, Ontario is under the jurisdiction of the Peel Regional Police. The law enforcement agency’s website spells out what should happen if you’re arrested, but that doesn’t mean police don’t make mistakes and violate people’s rights.

Negligent or malicious actions by police officers can sink a criminal case regardless of the seriousness of the offence, and a good Brampton criminal defence lawyer will be able to identify police misconduct associated with your arrest that could mean the charges or dropped or tossed out by a judge.

Steps involved with getting arrested

Police officers executing the arrest must identify themselves.

They must tell you that you’re under arrest and not simply being “detained.”

They will inform you of the reason you’re being arrested.

A police officer or group of officers will physically take control of you, which may involve violence if they perceive any resistance, regardless of how cooperative you try to be.

Arresting officers must inform you of your right to retain a lawyer right away, which carries the right to speak with any lawyer of your choosing by phone.

You will be told of your right to free advice from a Legal Aid lawyer, but you may not qualify for legal aid depending on the offence with which you’re charged, or your financial situation.

Navigating the Criminal Justice System

Arresting officers will ask you whether you understand your rights.

Police will also search and handcuff you before taking you to a holding cell.

It’s also up to an officer’s discretion to possibly release you where the arrest took place or take you to a police station for processing, “depending on the circumstances.”

After you’ve arrived at a police station, a senior officer can decide whether to release you or hold you in a cell until a first court appearance in front of a Justice of the Peace.

Criminal Lawyer Brampton

Police officers in Canada, whether they’re in Brampton or Moose Jaw, are bound by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and any conduct that violates a criminal suspect’s charter rights can be grounds for tossing the charges out.

The use of unnecessary force or the failure to properly inform a suspect of their rights can doom a criminal prosecution, and a good criminal defence lawyer can seize upon mistakes and misconduct by police to show a court that the arrest was improper and/or illegal.

While things may have improved over the last decade, back in 2011 the Peel Regional Police came under fire after two people facing criminal charges were set free due to police misconduct.

The two cases that came before the courts just weeks apart ended when judges “ruled that officers lied and intimidated suspects,” according to a report in the Globe and Mail in June 2011.

Building Strong Cases for Trials

In one case, officers were found to have wrongfully strip-searched a suspect “to show him who was boss,” with police lying about the conduct in their testimony “to conceal their misconduct.” Weeks earlier, another judge in Ontario found that officers “misled the courts” about a suspected pimp being caught with fake identification documents.

“The double blow from the judiciary has done little to shake the police service that patrols the fast-growing cities of Brampton and Mississauga to the west of Toronto: It has no plans to investigate or discipline the rogue officers,” the newspaper reported.

“Defence lawyers who regularly try cases in the area call it the latest example of a troubling and cozy relationship between the police service and the local prosecutor’s office, which has yet to wipe away the decades-old stain of a high-profile wrongful conviction.”

Benefits of Hiring Criminal Defence Lawyers

Many criminal defence lawyers offer 24-hour service, but they’re usually hard at work during normal court hours on weekdays. To arrange a consultation with a criminal defence lawyer through ClearWay, you can fill out the form on this page and they will be in contact with you in short order.

If you’re freshly out of a holding cell and wondering what to do next, contacting ClearWay Law can put you on the right track to finding the right lawyer to defend you against any number of criminal charges.

Criminal defence lawyers can help you if you’re facing criminal charges, but it’s a smart move to ask any lawyers you talk to about all the clients they have successfully defended. If you’re facing charges for fraud or some type of financial crime, you might not want to retain a lawyer who primarily works with people accused of violent crimes such as assault or homicide.

Different Types Of Brampton Criminal Law Matters

Break and Enter (B&E)
Drug offences
Fraud
Sexual Assault
Domestic Assault (our lawyers can also help with family law)
DUI’s
Theft
Any other criminal offences spelled out in the Criminal Code of Canada

Why You Should Work With A Criminal Defence Lawyer In Brampton

Your freedom is worth fighting for, no matter what the cost especially if you feel you’ve been wrongfully accused or treated unlawfully by police. If you’re charged and convicted and have a criminal record, you might have a hard time getting good jobs in the future.

Indeed, a criminal record can carry both steep financial and social costs, so it’s worth it to spend a few thousand dollars on retaining a lawyer to ensure your legal rights are asserted in court and protected from overzealous prosecutors and deceptive law enforcement agents.

Expertise in Criminal Law Matters

It’s important to keep in mind that when you are in jail, you cannot work and earn income. If you go to jail for a year, you might have been able to earn $50,000 that year or more. Defending yourself in court from a criminal charge might be possible, but without a law degree, you’d be rolling the dice and unnecessarily gambling with your future.

It may seem worth it at first to save $5000 on legal fees, but it may end up costing you more than you could imagine before ending up in handcuffs or a jail cell.

Can I Attend a Bail Hearing Without A Lawyer and Represent Myself?

There’s no rule against representing yourself at a bail hearing, but the question is, at what cost? What happens if your bail is denied? Depending on the charges, a judge may also advise you to get a lawyer because dealing with self-represented individuals in criminal matters creates untold headaches for prosecutors, judges, court clerks, and registry staff.

An already complex and time-consuming process gets that much more difficult when courts have to accommodate people who have no legal training and no knowledge of the rules about court procedure and evidence.

Mind you, there are certain areas of law where you can do things for yourself. For example, you might be using business templates online for certain contracts with vendors or employees. But criminal law is different, and it’s rarely if ever advisable to handle a criminal legal matter yourself without the help of a defence lawyer.

Speak to a Brampton Criminal Defence Lawyer Now

Having enough time to prepare for a bail hearing is important. Many bail hearings happen very quickly after you are arrested and if you have been given a date for a first appearance, your lawyer needs time to prepare.

It’s likely that the prosecutor will provide them with evidentiary disclosure materials at an initial court appearance, but depending on the charges and circumstances, the process can take weeks or even months to work itself out before a trial date is agreed upon.

For minor offences or a first offence, it’s also likely that the prosecutor will be open to a plea agreement that avoids a lengthy trial. A good criminal defence lawyer will be able to advise you of all your options and possible outcomes and your odds of beating a charge.

Overworked prosecutors up against aggressive and experienced defence counsel will likely be amenable to cutting a deal to avoid a trial, but their duty is to the victims of an offence.

Criminal Lawyer Brampton

If you’re charged with a violent crime such as an assault, the prosecutor will consult with a victim about their ideal outcome. In Canada, police can recommend charges.

It’s up to Canadian prosecutors to determine whether a charge should be laid based on a standard of a “substantial likelihood of conviction” and whether or not pursuing the case would be in the public interest.

It’s obvious that prosecutors need to consider the public interest value of pursuing a criminal case, but for defence lawyers, their main interest is protecting the rights of their clients and keeping them out of jail.

If you’ve been hit with criminal charges in Brampton, ClearWay can connect you with a criminal lawyer who will fight for your rights. It’s often said that everyone deserves their day in court, but here at ClearWay, we believe that people shouldn’t face that day alone.

What should I look for in a Brampton Criminal Defence Lawyer?

We believe the most important thing is communication. You want a criminal lawyer that will keep you up to date. A lawyer should provide reassurance about how they’re handling your case to help you relax and relieve the stress of facing a criminal charge.

How Much Do Criminal Defence Lawyers Cost?

Most criminal lawyers will charge per hour or they might ask for a $3000-$5000 retainer upfront. With a criminal lawyer, keep in mind that your freedom is more important than money. Also, getting a criminal record will cost you a lot more in the long term, so seeking to save money on your defence costs is likely not a good idea.

Do not speak to the police without first speaking to a lawyer. Find out if you can leave the police station. If they let you go, reach out to us at ClearWay if you need help finding a lawyer.

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Experienced Criminal Lawyers in Brampton: Protect Your Rights