Arson Lawyers Calgary

If you are facing arson charges, you need a criminal defence lawyer in Calgary to look at your case as soon as possible. A conviction on arson charges can carry serious penalties including expensive fines and jail time.

Strategic Criminal Defence is a top Google-rated criminal defence firm in Calgary, with over 500 5-star reviews. Our firm, and our experienced legal team, have defended clients in over 10,000 criminal cases. Leveraging our extensive network of lawyers and decades of experience, we craft defence strategies to help those accused of arson beat the charge.

The lawyers at Strategic Criminal Defence are both highly experienced and dedicated to defending your rights and future in the face of these charges. Contact a criminal defence lawyer today by calling (403) 719-6410.

Arson Offence Charges

Arson is an offence whose main component is the dangerous use of fire or explosives.

Fire is unpredictable and capable of causing enormous danger to human life and damage to property. Because of this, the Courts tend to take arson charges very seriously, even those that involve relatively small fires. It is therefore critical that you have a competent criminal defence lawyer to thoroughly review the case against you and ensure you get the best result.

There are 5 different arson offences:

  1. Setting a fire that causes bodily harm or being reckless as to whether the property is occupied by one or more people
  2. Setting a fire intentionally or recklessly that causes damage to another person’s property
  3. Setting a fire on your own property that damages your own property and seriously threatens the health, safety, or property of another person
  4. Causing damage by fire to the property with the intent of committing fraud (e.g. collecting insurance money)
  5. Letting a fire get out of control and cause bodily harm to another person by being negligent

Definitive Guide to Arson Charges in Canada

If you or a loved one has been charged with arson, your best defence is an experienced legal team. Read our comprehensive guide to arson to learn about the charges, defences, and punishments.

Read The Guide

Bail Condition for Arson Charges

The police take these offences extremely seriously and often seek very restrictive release terms at the bail stage. If they believe you were intoxicated when you started the fire, or it was committed at night, you will likely face a strict curfew as a condition to your release. In addition, you will face a ban on possessing anything that can be used to start a fire (matches, lighter, gas, propane, etc.)

Defending Arson Charge

Large arsons will often cause the police to send in a large team of specialists to determine the cause and reason for the fire. This in turn will create a great deal of complicated expert evidence and police reports. When the stakes are this high, you will need a confident and diligent defence lawyer to interpret those reports and other information in order to identify and target the weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

Our thorough review of every document generated by the investigation may focus on the following areas:

  • Will the prosecution be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you started the fire or explosion?
  • Is there a credible alternative explanation for the cause of the fire?
  • Are there any eyewitnesses that saw you do it? Are their statements unreliable or untrustworthy?
  • Did anyone else have a motive to start the fire?
  • Did you take all necessary safety precautions before starting the fire?

The Sentence

Depending on which type of arson you are charged with, you could face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years, 14 years, or LIFE.

In addition, the Crown will almost certainly ask the Judge to make an order that you pay the victims back for the full amount of damage caused by the fire or explosion. For all but the smallest fires, this can quickly translate into several thousand dollars.

The consequences are too serious to deal with this offence alone. Let our experienced criminal defence lawyers go to work for you in ensuring the best case is made on your behalf in the sentencing court. We may be able to reduce the amount of damage you are obligated to pay for or arrange a plea to less serious charges. In all cases, we will make sure the Judge is told, in an accurate and persuasive way, about your positive qualities and your future prospects for rehabilitation.

Contact Us

If you have been charged with a criminal offence, you need legal advice. Contact our Calgary criminal lawyers today for a free consultation.

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Fantastic defence team! Mateya Selders was puntual at every instance. She skillfully guided me through my case from its dreadful start to successful finish. Combined with her legal know-how, experienced team, and exceptional service; she has made an otherwise tragic turn of events into a memorable hinderence.

5 stars can’t even come close to convey my gratitude. Thank you Mateya and the Strategic Criminal Defence team!

G.C.

I wanted to thank Michael and his team for being outstanding and providing the best customer service. Thank you for winning my case. I really appreciate it. We all make mistakes and learn from them. Thank you again Michael. Highly recommended! Best lawyer in Alberta and Calgary!!

E.G.

I can’t thank enough to Joseph Beller. I got into a funny situation charged by CPS. This is a horrible place to be in, anyone who needs help should reach out ASAP.

He was very professional, calm, made the case go very smooth, good communication, answered my questions. Reliable! He cares about his clients, I trusted him 100%.

Charges have been withdrawn within a few months. 100% recommend him and his team to anyone in need! I wish more lawyers would be like him!

C.R.

Had my first criminal offence and unfortunately ended up with assault charges after drinking too much. Greg took the time to review the evidence and noted that there was actually no assault on one of the allegations! He was so patient with me and dealt with my fear and anxiety amazingly, answering my million questions all hours of the day. It took forever, due to delay from prosecution, but I ended up with a resolution of a peace bond that was acceptable while also allowing me to deal with the consequences of my actions. I hope to never be in a position to see Greg again, however, I highly recommend him and his team for these tough situations!

M.E.
I recently found myself assisting my elderly father with an urgent legal situation while from out of province. Attorney Greg Janzen went above and beyond from A-Z. He walked us through every step seamlessly. Resulting in a better than expected outcome. You can count on Greg Janzen!

R.E.
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