R. v. A.V.

(Calgary, Q.B.).  Charged with murder? You need a serious criminal defence lawyer. David Chow is a former Calgary crown prosecutor who has defended the entire spectrum of criminal charge. He has successfully secured verdicts of "not guilty" in homicide cases. David is of a handful of Calgary criminal lawyers who can properly defend a homicide. In AV, the client was charged with second degree murder along with a home invasion.  The evidence against the Accused was obtained by way of a Mr. Big Sting. A "Mr. Big" is an undercover operation where the police pose as criminals. In this case, there was a very interesting co-mingling by undercover operators and uniformed police. What occurred is that a police undercover operator posing as a criminal who was AV's boss ordered him to make a statement to a uniformed police officer. This was done so that the police could stimulate the accused into a conversation because over months of running the operation, the police had obtained virtually no evidence. Unfortunately  notwithstanding advancing numerous Charter defences against the use of the Mr. Big Sting, the accused was convicted by the trial judge.  Crown sought a period of 15-20 years parole ineligibility.   Client received 15 years.  The case was unsuccessfully appealed.  Unfortunately for AV, the Supreme Court of Canada had yet to release the case of R. v. Hart -- a decision would might have benefitted him at trial and at appeal. At the end of the day, murder cases are hard to win. They invoke strong emotional responses and it is clear to this Calgary criminal defence lawyer that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms doesn't have the same application to these kinds of serious offences.  With these difficulties, it is important for anybody charged with a homicide to retain a qualified Calgary homicide lawyer who will expire every available defence. Your life actually depends on it.