Criminal Law
Impaired Driving
Have you been charged with operating a motor vehicle or vessel while impaired due to alcohol consumption or drug ingestion? Dan O’Connor has extensive experience in this area of law and can fight for you.
Offences Involving Violence
If you are charged with offences involving allegations of violence, call Dan O’Connor immediately. Such offences can carry harsh penalties and Dan O’Connor will work to preserve your rights.
All Weapons Offences
Weapons-related offences are also among some of the more serious charges prosecuted in Canada. The specific use of any item, depending on the context, can lead to allegations involving “weapons”.
Bail Hearings
The first step after a person is charged with any offence is determining how they will be released pending the outcome of their case. People who have criminal records or are facing serious charges are often held for a bail hearing.
Break & Enter
Breaking and entering is a very serious offence that has the potential to result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. “Home invasions” are a more serious category to this type of charge. A person can be charged with break & entering even if no items are stolen.
Charter Applications
Under Canadian laws, everyone is granted specific fundamental rights under The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If applicable to the case, potential Charter violations could result in the exclusion of important evidence or a stay of proceedings.
Extradition
If a person is alleged to have committed a crime in another country, extradition laws may demand that the person be “delivered” by Canada to that country to face the charges. Extradition hearings and appeals are a critical part of that process.
Fingerprint Destruction
When a person is charged with an offence, part of the arrest procedure involves the police taking your fingerprints and photographs. If you are found not guilty or your charges are withdrawn, or you receive a non-conviction result, you can apply to have your fingerprints and photographs taken upon arrest destroyed, sometimes after a specific period of time.
Importing
Importing is one of the most serious category of offences under Canadian criminal and regulatory laws. Importing drugs is a common category of this offence. However, a person can also be charged with other “contraband” substances or items without appropriate licences and compliance with Canadian importing regulations.
Possession
The law defines possession very broadly based on “knowledge, consent and control”. That is why a person can be charged with possession of illicit drugs or a weapon for simply being in the same place where the item was found.
Professional Regulation
Doctors, nurses, teachers and lawyers are a few examples of professionals who are governed by regulatory bodies that impose rules and bylaws that must be followed by their profession. Any rule-breaking can result in the person facing disciplinary sanctions that could impact whether or not they are allowed to continue working in that field.
Tax Prosecutions
Tax evasion and falsifying or filing misleading information in tax returns can result in criminal or quasi-criminal charges with severe penalties including hefty fines and sometimes even jail time. This is a complex category of offences involving overlapping areas of law and multiple statutes.
Assault in a Domestic Relationship
If you are charged with assaulting a domestic partner, do not plead guilty, or accept a resolution arrangement before you consult your lawyer, Dan O’Connor. He has successfully defended domestic assault cases in the past and can work to obtain the best result in your case.
Offences Involving Drugs
Narcotic (drug) offences can result in severe penalties. Before pleading guilty or accepting a resolution arrangement or before setting a trial date, you should consult with Dan O’Connor, Barrister and Solicitor.
Assault with a Weapon
Assault with a weapon is a more serious charge than “simple assault”, but is a very broadly defined type of offence. A person can be charged with assault with a weapon even if they did not actually strike the other person. Depending on the context in which it is used, any item can be considered a “weapon”.
Bail Reviews
If a person is denied bail, they may bring a Bail Review. Bail Reviews require a review of the bail hearing proceedings and the legal and factual issues involved at the bail hearing. They require the preparation of specific materials that must be filed with the reviewing Court.
Charter Applications
Under Canadian laws, everyone is granted specific fundamental rights under The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If applicable to the case, potential Charter violations could result in the exclusion of important evidence or a stay of proceedings.
Coroner's Inquests
A Coroner’s Inquest is a public hearing that investigates the who, what, when, where and how of a person’s death. Depending on the circumstances of the person’s death, sometimes a Coroner’s inquest is mandatory.
Fraud
Fraud encompasses a very broad spectrum of criminal activity under Canadian criminal law and can carry severe penalties, depending on the type of fraud and level of sophistication alleged. Findings of guilt for these types of offences also have serious implications on a person’s future including employment.
Immigration Prosecutions
Offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act can have very serious consequences.
Pardons
If a person has been found guilty of any criminal offence, they may be eligible to apply for what is now called a Record Suspension after a certain period of time. The types of charges, the sentences the person received and the dates they were sentenced are all key factors in determining whether a person would qualify or not.
Professional Disciplinary Proceedings
Doctors, nurses, teachers and lawyers are a few examples of professionals who are governed by regulatory bodies that impose rules and bylaws that must be followed by their profession. Any rule-breaking can result in the person facing disciplinary sanctions that could impact whether or not they are allowed to continue working in that field.
Robbery
Robbery often involves the use or threat of force while stealing or attempting to steal property. For example, a person can be charged with robbery for demanding another person’s phone or wallet, even if there is no weapon involved.
Theft
Theft is a broad category of property-related offences that can come with severe penalties depending on the circumstances. From a simple shop-lifting type of charge to large-scale “white-collar” fraud schemes, a conviction for theft can have serious long-term consequences for a person found guilty of this offence.