- Criminal Law -
A person charged with a criminal offence is entitled to legal
counsel, even for those who want to plead guilty.
The decision to plead guilty or to have a trial is a very
important one. A person should not hastily plead guilty
just to "get it over with". You may have a viable
legal defence that you may not be aware of. If you are
charged with a criminal offence, it is very important to appear
at the police station for identification and to attend every
court appearance, unless you are otherwise instructed by your
lawyer. Failure to attend will result in further criminal
charges; and you could be jailed overnight or even longer.
If you do not already have a lawyer, you can ask for Duty
Counsel to assist you on your first court appearance. Duty
Counsel is a lawyer provided by the Legal Aid Plan to assist
accused persons who do not have their own lawyer.
On a first appearance, you will most likely receive a package
of documents, a "Disclosure", from the Crown Attorney.
You should have duty counsel assist you in getting an adjournment
of your case so that your own lawyer can review these documents
and assess your case. The disclosure package will also
contain a crown screening form which you must take with you to
Legal Aid if you intend to apply for that assistance.
My legal practice for criminal matters is restricted to
summary conviction offences. The crown screening form
will indicate whether the matter is a summary conviction offence.
Legal Fees:
My fees will depend on whether you choose to enter a guilty
plea or to proceed with a trial. Guilty pleas are charged
on a flat rate basis plus GST. Trials are charged on an
hourly basis (plus GST), since trials take longer than guilty
pleas and it is difficult to predict the time that will be
required for the case.
Please feel free to contact my office for my flat and hourly
rates. I will also be happy to answer any questions you may
have regarding your case.
Send E-mail to David Fysh at david@davidfysh.com