Criminal Defence Lawyers in Calgary

Say as little as possible and ask to speak with a lawyer. You have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel, and police are required to give you a reasonable opportunity to exercise it. You do not have to explain your side, answer questions, or “clear things up” at the roadside or in an interview room — and statements made before you get advice are often the most damaging part of a Crown’s case.

Write down what you remember while it’s fresh: times, locations, officer names, who was present. Preserve anything relevant — texts, photos, receipts, dashcam or doorbell footage — because video is frequently overwritten within days. Then call a criminal defence lawyer before your first court date.

Cost depends on the charge, the volume of disclosure, and how far the matter goes — a summary matter resolved early is very different from a multi-week trial with expert evidence. Most criminal work is quoted as a block fee for a defined stage of the case, so you know what you’re paying before the work starts, rather than watching an open-ended hourly bill.

We’ll give you a clear quote and a written retainer agreement at the outset, and we offer flexible payment arrangements. If you may qualify for Legal Aid Alberta, we’ll tell you. Cost should never be the reason you go into court unrepresented — raise it with us directly.

No lawyer can promise you an outcome, and you should be sceptical of any who does. What we can do is tell you honestly what the realistic range is once we’ve reviewed the disclosure. Many first-time and lower-level matters resolve without jail — through withdrawal, a peace bond, a diversion or alternative measures program, a discharge, or a non-custodial sentence. Serious violence, firearms, and repeat offences carry considerably more exposure, and some offences carry mandatory minimums.

A conviction creates a criminal record that can affect employment, professional licensing, volunteering, custody matters, and travel to the United States. Absolute and conditional discharges, withdrawals, and acquittals do not result in a conviction — which is why how a case is resolved matters as much as whether it’s resolved.

You’re entitled to represent yourself, and duty counsel can help with adjournments and basic first-appearance advice. But duty counsel are not assigned to your file, don’t review your full disclosure, and can’t run a trial or a Charter application for you.

A retained lawyer reviews the entire disclosure package for weaknesses, identifies Charter breaches such as an unlawful search or a denial of your right to counsel, negotiates with the Crown before positions harden, and appears for you so you often don’t have to take time off work for routine dates. Pleading guilty early to “get it over with” is the most common and most expensive mistake we see — the consequences outlast the charge by years.

Most matters follow the same path: first appearance, disclosure from the Crown, Crown resolution discussions, then either a negotiated resolution or a trial date. A straightforward matter in Provincial Court may resolve in a few months. A trial — particularly one in the Court of King’s Bench, or one involving experts or a preliminary inquiry — commonly runs a year or more.

There are ceilings on delay under R. v. Jordan — roughly 18 months in Provincial Court and 30 months in the Court of King’s Bench from charge to the end of trial — and unreasonable delay can itself be a defence. Most of your appearances can be handled by your lawyer or by agent, so the real time commitment for you is far smaller than the calendar suggests.

In Canada, charges belong to the Crown, not the complainant. A complainant can say they no longer wish to proceed, and the Crown will consider it — but the Crown alone decides whether to continue, and in domestic matters it frequently proceeds anyway. Contacting a complainant yourself is usually a breach of your release conditions and can lead to new charges; anything that needs to be communicated should go through counsel.

Charges are withdrawn or stayed when the Crown concludes there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction or that prosecution isn’t in the public interest. Defence submissions — pointing to gaps in the evidence, a Charter breach, or a suitable diversion program — are often what moves the Crown to that conclusion.

Yes. The initial consultation is free and it is confidential — solicitor–client privilege applies from the moment you seek legal advice, whether or not you end up retaining us. You can speak openly.

Bring anything the police or the court gave you: the Information, your Promise to Appear or Release Order and its conditions, the court date and location, any disclosure you’ve received, and the names of any witnesses. If you don’t have paperwork yet, call anyway — deadlines and bail conditions move quickly, and our help line is answered 24/7.