Criminal Lawyer: What You Need to Know

When you are hiring a criminal lawyer for your case, you probably won’t be considering whether your lawyer will do everything he can to ensure he collects all of the Crown disclosure in your case before consenting to set a trial date.  But, in many cases, that is exactly what you need your criminal defence lawyer to do.

Understanding Crown Disclosure: Obtaining Essential Evidence for Your Defence

“Crown disclosure”  is all of the evidence that the Crown has in your case, whether it helps or hurts you.  Shortly after your arrest, usually at the second or third remand appearance, the Crown will give you or your lawyer a package of disclosure.  However, it is very rare that everything the accused is entitled to is produced in that packet.  An experienced criminal defence lawyer knows how to make a fulsome request to ensure that you get all the evidence you need to develop the defence of your case.

The Crucial Role of a Thorough Criminal Defence Lawyer

Very often, police officer’s notes from one of the officers involved are overlooked by the Crown or interview notes or other details are omitted.   Every time a new set of notes is located, the defence lawyer has a chance to detect discrepancies that may be enough to give rise to reasonable doubt.

The bottom line?  You need a criminal defence lawyer who digs for all the evidence in your case.