Criminal Confinement Lawyers in Calgary

If you are facing criminal confinement charges, you need a criminal defence lawyer in Calgary to look at your case as soon as possible. A conviction 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 criminal confinement 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 Calgary criminal confinement lawyer today by calling (403) 719-6410.

Criminal Confinement Charge

It is a criminal offence to confine, forcibly seize, of imprison another person without lawful authority. This charge could be described as a “kidnapping-related” offence and is an extremely serious charge.

This offence simply involves depriving someone of the freedom to move from one place to another. Unlike kidnapping, the victim does not need to have been carried away from one place to another for this charge to be made out.

Periods of very brief confinement can make out this charge. It is also important to know that the charge can still be made out even if the person who was allegedly confined, seized, or imprisoned did not resist.

This charge arises in two common scenarios, and is often accompanied by other charges, such as breaking and entering, theft, robbery, or assault:

  1. In the context of a romantic relationship, the alleged victim is locked or otherwise held in a bathroom or bedroom for a period of time as a result of a fight or argument
  2. In the context of a residential or commercial robbery, the homeowners or employees are restrained or locked in a room so the perpetrators can commit other crimes undisturbed (sexual assault, theft, etc.)

Violent Offence Successful Cases

Our team of criminal defence lawyers has supported hundreds of clients with violent offence charges. Read our successful cases to learn more.

View Successful Cases

Bail Conditions for Criminal Confinement Offences

Due to the seriousness of this charge, the Crown and police will insist that you be kept in custody until your charges are dealt with by the court, especially if the alleged victim is or was your wife or girlfriend.

We will be able to make the best case for why you should be released while your charges wind their way through the court system.

If we can secure your release, you can expect to be placed on some of the following conditions:

  • Have no contact, and unable to go near, the alleged victim
  • Have no contact with anyone else who you are alleged to have committed the offence with
  • Do not possess any weapons
  • Do not possess any drugs or alcohol
  • Do not go near the place where you allegedly committed the offence
  • Obey a curfew (if the offence allegedly happened at night)

Defending Criminal Confinement Charge

Every witness and police statement, any surveillance video, and all other evidence will be reviewed with a keen eye for any gaps, inconsistencies, or other problems with the Crown’s case. We also record your side of the story, and will present our legal findings along with your options.

Our analysis may focus on one or more of the following common issues:

  • Would the alleged victim be able to identify you as the perpetrator?
  • Did you have a good reason for confining or restraining the person? Was he or she acting angrily or hysterically, to the point that you feared damage to yourself or your property?
  • If it is alleged that you helped somebody else commit this offence, did you or should you have known that they intended to do it?

The Sentence

The potential penalties are high. Forcible confinement is punishable by up to ten years in a federal penitentiary. In addition, a person convicted of this offence is required to submit a sample of their DNA to the national DNA database, and will be banned from possessing any firearms or related items for at least 10 years from the date of sentence.

Because this offence involves the domination of another person, and is often committed for the purpose of facilitating other offences, the Crown will seek a jail sentence in virtually every case.

In appropriate cases, we may be able to negotiate a resolution that may permit you to plead guilty to a less serious offence, or ensure that you do not go to jail. We will leverage our assessment of the strength of the case, and your personal circumstances and future prospects to ensure that the sentence is no higher than absolutely necessary.

Client Reviews

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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