Criminal Defence Law in Calgary: Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, we learned that a Calgary criminal defence lawyer's job is about protecting everyone's rights after they've been accused of a crime, not necessarily criminal investigators who prove their cleints' innocence and crusade against corrupt cops and prosecutors. Life is not a TV show, and criminal defence law—while exciting to those who practice it—is way heavier on paperwork than car chases.

In Part 2, we'll be looking at when a Calgary criminal defence lawyer's job begins, and when criminal defence law begins to apply in any given case.

Calgary Criminal Defence Law Starts with an Investigation or Complaint

Every criminal defence case in Calgary begins, in one way or another, with law enforcement suspecting someone of a crime. This suspicion might arise from something the Calgary Police directly observe, followed by an immediate open-and-shut investigation. For example: a Calgary Police officer observes a driver disobeying traffic laws, pulls the driver over and conducts a field sobriety test, decides the driver is intoxicated, and arrests them for a DUI—suspicion, investigation, and arrest in a matter of minutes.

More serious and complex crimes can take weeks to investigate before an arrest is made: ongoing conspiracies to traffic drugs or to exchange stolen items might culminate in a series of raids and arrests after all key parties have been identified, for example. Criminal defence cases like this are relatively rare in the Calgary area, but they absolutely exist and the Calgary Police as well as the RCMP have been involved in numerous long-term investigations that led to several high-profile arrests over the past few years.

The majority of criminal cases in Calgary occur, however, because of complaints made to the Calgary Police: people calling the police to report crimes they have witnessed or been the victim of. A phone call regarding a domestic dispute that has grown violent, flagging down an officer after a store is robbed, and otherwise bringing an alleged crime to the direct attention of Calgary-area law enforcement will cause an investigation and possibly an arrest to occur.

Though these methods vary considerably, the end result is the same from a Calgary criminal defence lawyer's perspective. No matter how a case originates, effective defence law requires looking at the case from the moment law enforcement officers became suspicious of a crime—from the moment a complaint was made, the moment an investigation begins, or the moment an arrest is made. Every step in the process followed by Calgary Police or other agencies, and every action taken by the person accused of a crime, is a potentially vital part of the defence's case.

In Part 3 of this article series, we'll see how accused persons go about contacting a criminal defence lawyer in Calgary, and when following their arrest that contact should occur.

Reach Out to a Compassionate Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer Today

If you or a family member is in need of a criminal defence lawyer in the Calgary area but don't know where to turn, contact the offices of David Chow today. Get the help you're entitled to under the law, and put your charges behind you as quickly and completely as possible.