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Cultivation of marijuana
Although the federal government’s stance on simple possession of small amounts of marijuana may be softening in the future, marijuana grow ops still attract significant potential penalties. There is a strong likelihood that if you are convicted, you will go to jail. The potential penalties can be even greater if the house that you are accused of growing marijuana in is a rental, or if certain modifications have been made to the house.
These charges often involve multiple search warrants, wiretaps, and surveillance of your activities by police officers. It is important to have a lawyer that understands what the police are allowed to do in these situations and how best to defend you if they overstep their authority.
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Drug trafficking
Drug trafficking is a serious offence. You can be charged with trafficking even if you did not have any drugs with you at the time. Trafficking by offer or “holding out” means that you can get charged and sentenced as a drug trafficker without even selling, or possessing, real drugs.
These charges often involve multiple search warrants, wiretaps, and surveillance of your activities by police officers. It is important to have a lawyer that understands what the police are allowed to do in these situations and how best to defend you if they overstep their authority.
We have successfully defended people charged with trafficking a variety of drugs including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, MDMA, marijuana and others. Even if the evidence is overwhelming, we can work to minimize the impact that this charge will have on your work, and your freedom.
It is important to get a lawyer involved in these offences from the very beginning. During the first bail hearing, even before all the evidence is in, serious restrictions can be placed on the accused person’s liberty by a judge. It is important to have a lawyer to help negotiate the conditions to allow the accused person to continue their life in as normal manner as possible while waiting for trial.
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Possession for the purposes of trafficking
You can be charged with trafficking if you have a large quantity of drugs, even if did not intend to sell them and no trafficking activity took place. There are a number of circumstances that can lead to this charge including whether you had paraphernalia (such as scales), multiple cell phone, as well as the manner in which the drugs are packaged.
Charges of possession for the purposes of trafficking can carry with it extremely serious penalties including long periods of incarceration. Drug trafficking law is a complex and changing area of law and many of these cases go all the way though the trial process.
These charges often involve multiple search warrants and surveillance of your activities by police officers. It is important to have a lawyer that understands what the police are allowed to do in these situations and how best to defend you if they overstep their authority.
We have successfully defended people charged with trafficking a variety of drugs including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, MDMA, marijuana and others. Even if the evidence is overwhelming, we can work to minimize the impact that this charge will have on your work, and your freedom.
It is important to get a lawyer involved in these offences from the very beginning. During the first bail hearing, even before all the evidence is in, serious restrictions can be placed on the accused person’s liberty by a judge. It is important to have a lawyer to help negotiate the conditions to allow the accused person to continue their life in as normal manner as possible while waiting for trial.
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Possession of a controlled substance
You can be charged with possession if you actually have drugs on your person or in your vehicle when you are searched. You can also be charged with possession even if you do not have the drugs on you, but are in joint possession of them with someone else.
Although you may be tempted to plead guilty to a simple possession of drugs just to “get it over with”, having a drug charge on your criminal record can have long-term consequences for you. These can include an inability to travel to certain destinations and may disqualify you from holding a number of jobs, even years in the future.
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Production / importation of drugs
Production or importation of drugs can include importing by ordering drugs or precursors ordered to your location from overseas, as well as being stopped at the airport with drugs in your luggage or on your body.
Recently people have also been charged with production of drugs for being in the house when cocaine was being cooked into crack cocaine. This adds the potential of significant jail time to an activity that can be done with small enough amounts of cocaine to qualify as a simple possession otherwise.
Charges of possession for the purposes of trafficking can carry with it extremely serious penalties including long periods of incarceration. Drug trafficking law is a complex and changing area of law and many of these cases go all the way though the trial process.
These charges often involve multiple search warrants, wiretaps, and surveillance of your activities by police officers. It is important to have a lawyer that understands what the police are allowed to do in these situations and how best to defend you if they overstep their authority.
It is important to get a lawyer involved in these offences from the very beginning. During the first bail hearing, even before all the evidence is in, serious restrictions can be placed on the accused person’s liberty by a judge. It is important to have a lawyer to help negotiate the conditions to allow the accused person to continue their life in as normal manner as possible while waiting for trial.
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Fraud over / under $5000
Fraud means obtaining any money, property, valuable security or service by deceit, falsehood, or other fraudulent means. Fraud is often associated with sophisticated schemes, but can include such simple behaviour as promising to pay for an item without intending to do so.
Like theft, fraud is divided into two categories: fraud up to $5000 and fraud over $5000.
Being convicted of a theft charge can have serious consequences, up to time in jail. Even if it is your first time being charged, you may end up with a criminal record which could hurt your job prospects in the future. Having a lawyer to defend you on these charges could be a great help to keep you criminal-record free.
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Possession of proceeds of crime
Much like being in possession of property obtained by crime, it is a crime to be in possession of proceeds obtained by crime. For example, if stolen property is sold for cash, it is a crime to be in possession of that cash.
The mental element, or mens rea, of the offence has to be established for a person to be guilty. Knowledge that money is proceeds of crime or wilful blindness to the source of the money can result in a conviction.
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Possession of stolen property
It is a crime to be in possession of property that was obtained by the commission of a criminal offence. There is no requirement that the person in possession of the property is the same person who committed the offence.
Like all criminal offences, there is a mental element to this crime. The person charged must know that the property was obtained by crime. However, that knowledge can be proven in several ways.
One way to prove knowledge is through the doctrine of recent possession. The doctrine of recent possession is a common law rule which states that if property was recently stolen, it can be inferred that the person in possession of the property knows the property was obtained by crime.
Another way to prove knowledge is through wilful blindness. To be wilfully blind, a person must ignore a real suspicion in their mind that the property was obtained by crime.
Being convicted of possession of stolen property can have serious consequences, up to time in jail. Even if it is your first time being charged, you may end up with a criminal record which could hurt your job prospects in the future. Having a lawyer to defend you on these charges could be a great help to keep you criminal-record free.
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Shoplifting
‘Shoplifting’ is the term used to describe stealing from a store, as opposed to stealing from another person. This is one of the most common occurrences of theft. Many stores have signs posted stating that shoplifters will be prosecuted. What this means is that the store intends to call the police when they suspect someone of stealing from their store so that the police can arrest and charge the suspect.
It is common for large retailers to employ loss prevention officers, or LPOs. These are individuals employed to investigate thefts occurring in the store and to detain suspected shoplifters until police arrive.
Being convicted of a shoplifting charge can have serious consequences, up to time in jail. Even if it is your first time being charged, you may end up with a criminal record which could hurt your job prospects in the future. Having a lawyer to defend you on these charges could be a great help to keep you criminal-record free.
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