Drug Offences
Charges Diverted
Case Number: Calgary Provincial Court
Case Number: 2250086
Our client was arrested and charged with Possession after he was stopped by the police for driving at an excessive speed. After being pulled over, the police smelled the scent of fresh marijuana coming from his vehicle and asked him to exit his truck. Upon searching his vehicle they found several jars of marijuana and a used pipe. The police seized all of the drugs and arrested our client.
Upon being retained we immediately obtained and reviewed disclosure. We identified several weaknesses in the case against our client and used them to secure a favorable resolution with the Crown Prosecutor. We were able to successfully place our client in the Alternative Measures Program, and upon his successful completion of the program the charges against him were withdrawn.
Successful Result: Alternative Measures, No Criminal Record
Case Number: Calgary Provincial Court
Case Number: 751942
Our client was stopped by the police after speeding approximately 50 km over the posted limit. When our client rolled his window down to speak to the police, the police were able to smell a strong scent of fresh marijuana emanating from his vehicle. They asked our client to exit his vehicle, which they then proceeded to search. Upon searching the vehicle, they found a container holding approximately 10 grams of marijuana.
Upon being retained, we immediately sought disclosure and directed our client to sign up to volunteer in the community and to attend drug addiction counselling. We used proof of our client’s efforts in conjunction with evidentiary weaknesses we had identified in the disclosure to successfully advocate for our client’s placement in the Alternative Measures Program. As a result of our effort, he was able to completely avoid a criminal record as the charges against him were withdrawn when he finished the program.
Successful Result: Alternative Measures, No Criminal Record
Case Number: 32360030
Our client was arrested and charged with possession after he accidentally forgot 18 grams of marijuana in a safe at his hotel. He had checked out of the hotel, realized that he had forgotten the drugs in the safe, and called the hotel to let them know that he was on his way back to pick up belongings he left in the room. Prior to his return, hotel security entered the room and found the drugs. The police then located our client who was arrested and charged with possession.
Upon being retained we reviewed our client’s disclosure and flushed out all weaknesses in the case against him. We then obtained strong character references for our client from his current employer, and directed our client to seek counseling. We then negotiated with the Crown Prosecutor on our client’s behalf and were able to successfully secure his placement in the Alternative Measures Program. Upon his successful completion of the program, the charges against him were withdrawn.
Successful Result: Alternative Measures Program, Charges Withdrawn No Criminal Record
Case Number: 2250117
Our client was charged with three counts of Possession after the police searched him and his car. Our client was sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle in a remote location when the police approached him to ask what he was doing. While speaking to our client, the police noted that he kept on glancing towards his vehicle anxiously. The police found this behavior highly suspicious and decided to search our client’s car. During the search, the police located marijuana, cocaine, and molly and arrested our client for possession.
When we met with our client, he explained to us that it was his primary goal to avoid a criminal record. In order to secure the best possible outcome, we identified all potential weaknesses in the case against our client before beginning resolution discussions with the Crown Prosecutor. Through negotiations with the Crown, we were able to advocate for our client’s placement in the Alternative Measures Program. As a result, once our client completed the program the charges against him were withdrawn.
Successful Result: Alternative Measures, No Criminal Record
Case Number: Calgary Provincial Court
Case Number: 551980
Our client was charged with three counts of Possession after he was stopped and searched by the police at a roadside check stop. Upon approaching his vehicle, the police reported smelling fresh marijuana. They asked our client to exit his vehicle which they then searched. During their search they found over 60 grams of marijuana and approximately $200.00 worth of pills.
After we were retained we reviewed our client’s disclosure and assisted our client with developing a plan for counseling and treatment to address his problem with drugs. We then entered into negotiations with the Crown Prosecutor and were able to successfully advocate for our client’s placement in the Alternative Measures Program. Upon his successful completion of the program, all charges against him were withdrawn.
Successful Result: Alternative Measures, Charges Withdrawn, No Criminal Record
Case Number: 53562265
Our client was charged with breaching a recognizance when he was re-arrested shortly after being released for another offence. One of the conditions of his bail for the prior offence was to refrain from entering establishments where the primary purpose of the business was the sale of alcohol. He was also to refrain from drinking alcohol and from consuming drugs. Our client was noticed when he drove erratically into a parking lot of a liquor store. Once he re-emerged from the liquor store, the police approached him and informed him that they had ran his information and noticed that he was currently in breach of his recognizance. In addition, while speaking to him at the window of his truck, the police noticed the smell of fresh marijuana coming from his vehicle and arrested him for possession. Upon searching his vehicle incident to arrest, the police located 9 grams of marijuana in his truck.
As breaching a recognizance is a very serious offence in Canadian law, the Crown prosecutor was seeking jail and considerable fines if our client was convicted. We ordered and did a thorough review of our client’s disclosure and found a number of weaknesses in the case against our client. We utilized these weaknesses in subsequent resolution discussions with the Crown, and we were able to persuade them to divert our client instead of sending him to jail. As a result, our client was placed in the Alternative Measures Program, and the charges against him were withdrawn once he had finished the program’s requirement.
Successful Result: Alternative Measures Program, Charges Withdrawn
Charges Withdrawn or Stayed
Case Number: 55172297
Our client was charged as a result of an undercover operation that targeted him as a potential drug dealer. After being under police surveillance for some time, he was arrested when an undercover police officer called him and asked him to purchase cocaine. When he went to the meeting place to complete the exchange he was arrested for possession for the purposes of trafficking. Upon searching him following his arrest, the police also found a large amount of cash and charged him with possession for the purposes of trafficking. Our client never followed up with his charges, and left the province after he was released. Several years later he found that there were outstanding warrants for his arrest on this matter, and he contacted us to defend him with respect to these charges.
We ordered and did a thorough review of his disclosure, and found a number of significant weaknesses in the case against our client. We discussed these weaknesses with the Crown prosecutor prior to trial, and the Crown withdrew all charges as he realized that there was no likelihood of succeeding at trial.
Successful Result: Charges Withdrawn, No Criminal Record
Discharges
Case Number: 541783
Our client was arrested for possession after staff at a bar called the police and reported that our client appeared to be in possession of drugs. The police attended the scene and looked for our client’s car in the parking lot. They located the car and found that one of its windows were partially open. Upon approaching the vehicle, the police reported smelling the scent of fresh marijuana coming from the vehicle. The police also were able to see a backpack inside the car, which they took and opened. Inside, they found our client’s identification as well as almost 30 grams of marijuana, and a large quantity of morphine pills.
Upon being retained we immediately ordered and reviewed disclosure, and directed our client to enroll in counselling and begin volunteering. After thoroughly reviewing the case against our client and negotiating with the Crown Prosecutor, we determined that the best way to ensure our client was able to avoid a criminal record would be to make a conditional discharge application. Prior to making our application we obtained proof of all our client’s counselling and took the additional step of ordering a presentence report which supported the position that our client was a suitable candidate for a discharge. With these documents we were able to successfully advocate for our desired result, and our client was able to avoid a criminal record.
Successful Outcome: Conditional Discharge, No Criminal Record
No Jail Time
Case Number: 762078
Our client was stopped by the police for a traffic violation. While conducting the traffic stop, the police noticed that our client was on probation and asked where our client was coming from. Our client told the police that he was coming from a bar. Our client was then arrested for breaching his probation which prohibited him from entering places where the primary purpose of the business was the sale of alcohol. After the police arrested him, they searched his vehicle and located a large amount of cash and cocaine. In the event of conviction, the Crown Prosecutor was seeking jail time.
Upon being retained we ordered and reviewed disclosure, and were able to identify several instances where our client’s Charter rights were seriously violated during the investigation. We leveraged these breaches during negotiations and were able to secure a favorable resolution for our client. Instead of jail time, our client was only given a $600 fine with time to pay.
Successful Result: No Jail Time
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Client Reviews
Michael Oykhman is a very professional lawyer and the first time I spoke to him he asked about my situation and he gave me some very helpful advice and assistance and also told me his odds of winning this case. During the days I was in contact with micheal I could feel the level of professionalism of him and his team, he is able to respond back to you with any questions you have within 24 hours. In the end he was as successful in helping me win my case as he had initially promised me.If you are still struggling to find a lawyer, I highly recommend Michael Oykhman.
Please give yourself a favour and contact Mr. Michael Oykhman if you need any legal advice or if you are in a terrible situation. Even-tough, the odds are not in your favour, still they will go extra miles to help you out in bad situation and get you favourable outcome. Moreover, They will work on your file even after the business hours. I don’t have words to say thanks to Mr. Michael oykhman and Kiran Cheema who had worked on my file and get me out of trouble. I’m very grateful for your assistance and exceptional service. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I am grateful that Ms. Moira McAvoy was my lawyer, and I remain thankful to her for everything. She made a successful resolution to my case possible. Ms. Moira McAvoy is a professional, trustworthy lawyer, and a compassionate person. She is an excellent listener and knowledgeable of the law. From the start, she was an excellent guide. I did not know anything about the legal system and court, and she outlined everything clearly in advance, so I could understand things. She never rushed me through anything. She spoke clearly, explained everything, considered what I said, and provided options and advice. She kept me up to date on new information, requirements, and deadlines. She was always positive and this helped so much.
Ryan Patmore and his team are simply the best. I was bullied by CPS in 2020 and it landed me with three separate charges, assault, refusal to blow and DUI, which all went down as I was parked at a friends. After some research and a conversation with Michael, he directed me towards Ryan and at the time I didn’t know that would be a game changer in my favour! He is honest, transparent, helpful and a brilliant mind. He successfully appealed my license suspension with ATSB and then proceeded to get the crown to dismiss all my charges before trial. I never had to step foot inside a courtroom. If you are in need of a criminal defence lawyer, don’t think twice, get in touch with this firm and ask for Ryan Patmore! The guy is an absolute saviour.
Joseph Beller, from the very beginning when I first contacted and then retained Joseph as my representative I felt I was in good hands. When I emailed him with a question. I got a prompt response. We communicated often on the phone as needed. Joseph kept me informed as to the process. He made sure I knew all the potential results so I knew and could plan for the different outcomes. I know this his his job. But appreciate his professionalism and also his ability to not make me feel any extra stress. Well done.
