When you are charged with a crime, it is the beginning of a lengthy process. The time in between your initial charge and your trial date will be filled with appointments and court appearances. You have to be ready for it. This is how the process works and what you will have to go through if you are charged:

  1. If you are arrested, you will be taken to a justice of the peace for your bail hearing. Depending on what you have been charged for, you can either be granted bail, meaning you are free until your court date. You can also be denied bail. This will happen in the following situations:
    1. If you are considered a danger to the public
    2. That you will not show up for your court appearances
    3. You maintain the public’s confidence in the seeking of justice
  2. Your ‘first appearance’ date will be set. Your ‘first appearance’ is not your trial, but an administrative process.
  3. Right after your release, you should seek to appoint a criminal defence lawyer in Edmonton to help you with your case. You don’t want to hire a lawyer too late as it might cost you during your trial.
  4. You will have to attend your ‘first appearance’ in court at the requested time. During this session:  
    1. Your criminal lawyer will seek to discuss the matters of your charge with the judge and the prosecutor. You will be disclosed a copy of the police investigation, which tells you why you were charged and the evidence against you.
    2. You will have the chance to make your plea: guilty or not guilty. If you plead guilty, you will be sentenced. If you plead not guilty, you will be given a date for the trial.
  5. You will have time now to prepare for your trial. During this period you will have to be open and honest with your defence lawyer about the trial. The more information you have, the more opportunities you have to succeed in court.

Get A Criminal Lawyer To Help You Immediately

We cannot stress this enough: if you have been charged with a crime, do you leave it go on for too long. Immediately find a criminal lawyer to help you with your case, so you can get the best result possible.

Dunlap Law provides the legal support and representation you need for your criminal case. Dunlap law is experienced with impaired driving or criminal offence cases. Send an email to [email protected] or give us a call. Calgary: (403) 474-8222 | Edmonton: (780) 428-2267 | Toll Free: 1-866-247-2264