Violent Crimes

As the heading suggests, any type of offences where there is any element of actual or threatened violence will qualify as a violent crime. The offences may range from a minor assault right up to 1st Degree Murder.

Violent crimes may involve the actual use of weapons or simply the threat to use a weapon.
Violent offences may occur in domestic relationships in which case different procedures are followed by both police and prosecutors.
Offences such as robbery, uttering threats, assault, and weapons offences all fall under the broad heading of violent offences.

Any offence of violence is a serious charge that has the potential to lead to jail time. If you are arrested for any offence of violence, do not give any information to the police other than your name and other identifiers (e.g. birth date, address). Insist upon speaking to a lawyer immediately.

Our lawyers accept phone calls 24 hours a day. You can ask the police to contact one of the lawyers at 30 Queen Law or duty counsel.

The police are not interviewing you to obtain evidence of your innocence or to find out what really happened. They are, instead, trying to find facts that they can use against you. Additionally, if your case goes to trial and there is a deviation between your sworn testimony (if you choose to testify) and your statement to the police, no matter how trivial, the Crown Attorney will attack your personal credibility.” />
Common tricks are for a police officer to say something like, “Look, if nothing happened, just tell us and you’ll be okay,” or, “It’s your right not to say anything, but I know if I was accused of beating my child and I hadn’t done it, I’d sure want my version on the record,” or, “Let’s go outside for a walk in the hall, just the two of us, no notebooks,” or, “If you talk to us now, things will be a lot easier on you later.” Do not give a statement; instead insist on contacting a lawyer. If you do not wish to contact a private lawyer, you can speak with legal aid duty counsel, available 24 hours.

Whether you have been arrested or have been contacted by the police to “meet” with them and give them “your side of the story”, do not speak to the police until you have spoken to a criminal lawyer.