CRIMINAL DEFENCE

A decision to release an accused while they await trial involves many factors. Camara Law Firm will assist you in navigating this process and putting your best foot forward, by presenting the best possible case for your release pending trial. Call to schedule your initial consultation and learn how Camara Law can guide you through your bail hearing, bail variation or failure to comply with recognizance matter. To provide reliable and flexible services, client meetings can take place at detention centers in Toronto and the GTA. 

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (even marijuana) is a serious offence with consequences ranging from licence suspension to imprisonment. Camara Law will work with you to formulate a robust defence taking into account the sequence of events leading to your charge, the strengths and weaknesses of your case and the law, and personal elements requiring a tailored outcome. 

Assault charges can range from simple assault, assault with a weapon, assault of a peace officer, domestic assault, etc. These charges can be difficult to defend yourself against. For this reason, you want a lawyer that will examine all the details of your interaction with the individual/partner involved in the incident and explore with you several defences that may be available to you, such as self-defence, defence of a person/property, reflex action or even consent.

A charge of sexual assault or harassment, voyeurism, groping or sexual exploitation (to name a few) can deprive you of more than a good reputation. The impact can range from loss of employment, which may trigger family law related matters (such as the removal of your children from your home), to an order placing you on the National Sex Offender Information Registry. Speak to us and see how we can help. 

Put simply, theft or fraud is taking what does not belong to you. However, fraud differs from theft with the additional elements of deceit and misrepresentation (or trickery and falsehood) that are required under the Criminal Code. Theft, just like Fraud, is punished based on the value of the property/service involved (under or over $5000). If you are charged with theft or fraud, do not enter a guilty plea without knowing the defences and legal alternatives available to you. 

Drug convictions often carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence. There are different sentences depending on the type of drugs and certain aggravating factors, such as the use of violence or threat, the offence taking place near a school, the benefit to organized crime, or previous drug conviction (in the past 10 years), that will have an impact on your sentence if found guilty. Nonetheless, if you are charged with a drug offence, the facts of the arrest may be contestable or alternative programs may be available to you. 

The age of criminal responsibility in Canada is 12 years old. If your child is arrested and charged by the police, you would both want to understand the criminal process involved since youth court is, in many aspects, different from the adult criminal process. Although this may be a life-altering experience, we will work directly with the young person, the family and community members to minimize the impact, whether it is through contesting the facts presented by the crown, or exploring extrajudicial sanctions, or alternatives to custody. We work together to have a thorough plan for court that will address everyone’s concerns.

In Ontario, it’s not only the Criminal Code that can land in you in trouble with the law. There are, in fact, many other rules and regulations enacted by the province that can also be the basis of a court action against you or your business. If you are facing charges under the Highway Traffic Act, the Occupational Health & Safety Act, the Dog Owner’s Liability Act, or any other provincial statutes, contact us.