Insights on cases and criminal law topics
Not guilty verdict for first degree murder charges
Monday, April 25, 2022 was a special day for our criminal law firm. That is the day that we were thrilled to receive a verdict of not guilty for both first degree murder charges against our client. The trial took ...
Don’t plead guilty to something you didn’t do
It was like a bad dream playing out in real life. A person was charged with a criminal offence for something they did not do. They hired a lawyer—from another firm—and that lawyer told them to plead guilty. The prosecutor ...
Youth, criminal charges and social media
With millions of posts every day, most of us have heard about social media horror stories or read headlines about a post gone wrong. Many parents are aware of the dangers of social media, but when a youth is facing ...
Remember this rule if facing criminal charges
Remember Rule #2: “Don’t make any statements.” That’s what we tell people who have been arrested or are being investigated by the police. Maybe they’re facing criminal charges, maybe the police are looking into their lives, maybe the police say ...
“I don’t know who your lawyer is, but they must be GOOD!”
We get the best feedback from our clients! One client was recently arrested and taken into police custody on serious criminal charges just two hours before end of court day on a Friday of a long weekend. What does it ...
The catch 22 in “Best criminal lawyers Kamloops”
You might notice that most lawyers don’t advertise as “Best criminal lawyers Kamloops” or “Best criminal lawyer BC” and there’s a good reason for that. The Law Society of BC, which governs the legal profession in BC, does not allow ...
Best Criminal Lawyers Kamloops?
You may see law firms advertising as “Best Criminal Lawyers Kamloops” and “Best Defence Lawyers Best Attorneys” but you won’t see our criminal law firm doing that. Doing so is very risky for the firm. Why? Calling yourself the best ...
Quarantine and the Law
With the worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic, any of us could end up in hospital, but could we also end up in jail? As reported by local media, a woman in Quebec infected with COVID-19 was arrested by police after ...
Revenge porn
“My girlfriend shared nude photos of herself with me while we were dating. She broke up with me out of the blue yesterday, and now I want to get back at her. If I post those nude photos to the ...
Charged with a sexual offence?
As a criminal defence lawyer, a large part of what I do involves protecting the rights of people who are being investigated or have been charged with a sex offence. Unlike most other types of criminal cases, sex cases involve ...
What you need to know about record suspensions (pardons)
Is a criminal record dragging you down? We can help you navigate the process of applying for a pardon (now called a record suspension). After we've assessed your eligibility, we'll help you gather the required information and advocate on your ...
Why I sponsor Law Week
Almost everyone at some point in their life comes into contact with the legal system, whether they are charged with an offence, handed a ticket, have a will made up, or sign a contract. The law affects us all. The ...
The police called. Your teen has been arrested.
It’s the call that no parent wants: a late-night call from the police. Your teen has been arrested. Talk to a lawyer before talking to the police One of the biggest mistakes people who’ve been arrested make is believing that ...
Spousal assault and “no contact” conditions
As criminal lawyers, we see certain fact patterns over and over. One of them typically happens in spousal assault cases. If you’ve been charged with assault, you need an experienced criminal defence lawyer. Contact us. We can help you. This ...
Sometimes no news is good news
At the risk of making you hungry, I want to talk about cake. Picture a thin layer of icing covering a fluffy filling. In a criminal case, the icing is the stuff that goes to trial in court. Maybe it ...
Who you gonna call?
I wouldn’t say I was happy when the police called me at 3 a.m., but I was definitely prepared. One of my clients had been arrested and needed criminal law advice. I was really glad he called me. I was ...
Who is really the best criminal lawyer in Vancouver?
If you’re like me, when you want to find a local business for a particular service, you’ll pick up your smartphone and do a quick Google search. Depending on what you’re interested in, and where you are, you’ll likely discover ...
Getting off on a “technicality”: Criminal charges and your rights
Critics of Canadian criminal law sometimes complain about people getting off on a "technicality.” Usually the so-called “technicality” is that the police violated an accused person’s Charter rights. The prosecution often can’t use evidence that was gained that way. As ...
5 questions to ask when hiring a criminal defence lawyer
If you're facing criminal charges, who you hire to be your criminal defence lawyer is a crucial decision. Here are five questions to ask to help you chose the best criminal lawyer for your situation. The first 4 questions are ...
Police Note Taking: Part 3 of 3
This is the third of three posts about police note taking. In this, Part 3, I discuss the effect sloppy police note taking can have on the outcome of a criminal trial. The trial of the police investigation If a prosecution witness ...
Police Note Taking: Part 2 of 3
This is the second of three posts about police note taking. In this, Part 2, I discuss the classic way in which a poor note taker can expect to find his or her credibility under attack in a criminal trial ...
Police Note Taking: Part 1 of 3
This is the first of three posts about police note taking. In this, Part 1, I discuss the importance of good police note taking in the context of telling the story of the case in evidence in a criminal trial ...
Police expert evidence about blind couriers inadmissible
In February 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in R. v. Sekhon 2014 SCC 15. It’s a case which involved the importation into Canada of 50 kg of cocaine. Border officers found the stash in a concealed ...
Court rejects doublethink in sexual exploitation case
In January 2014, the British Columbia Court of Appeal released its decision in R. v. Rich 2014 BCCA 24 dismissing the appeal in a sexual exploitation case of a convicted sex offender seeking to avoid the immigration consequences of his ...
Drug charges: Doda tea poor man’s heroin
Doda tea, also known as poor man's heroin, is illegal in Canada. It’s derived from the opium poppy and contains substances like morphine, codeine and thebaine. That means it’s prohibited under Schedule 1 of the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances ...
Canadian prostitution offences unconstitutional
In December the Supreme Court of Canada released it's much anticipated decision in Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford 2013 SCC 72 in which it found three Canadian prostitution offences unconstitutional. The three Criminal Code offences involve keeping a brothel, pimping ...
