Trial

Criminal Trial

The purpose of a trial is to have a judge or jury determine your legal guilt or innocence. The criminal trial process is governed by three fundamental principles:

  1. The presumption of innocence ensures that you are innocent until proven guilty by the prosecution. In practice this means that everyone has a right to a trial if they want one.
  2. You have the right against self-incrimination. This means you do not have to speak to the police or give testimony in court. The judge or jury are not allowed to weigh the fact that you did not testify against you.
  3. The ultimate burden is on the crown to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It is not necessary to prove your innocence at trial, only that you are not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Criminal Trial Process

A trial will begin with the Crown prosecutor presenting his or her case to the judge. This includes calling all the Crown’s witnesses and introducing evidence. The Crown will attempt to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Your criminal defence lawyer will then have an opportunity to cross examine witnesses to cast doubts about on the Crown’s evidence.

The Defence then has the option to call their own witnesses and evidence. This will typically include calling your witnesses and you to tell your story of what happened, but that possibility will be discussed with you before anything like that will occur. The Crown will get an opportunity to cross examine any witnesses the Defence calls, including you.

Final arguments are made by both the Crown and the defence lawyer, at which point the judge may make his or her decision immediately. Often however, the judge will require some time to make his or her decision, and will adjourn the trial until he or she is ready. A decision may be spoken by a judge or given by writing.

Role of the Accused

An accused person has the option to give testimony, but does not need to. Often  your lawyer will make the decision whether to put you on the witness stand or not depending on the strategic advantage. If an accused person does not take the stand, the judge or jury is not allowed to draw any negative inferences from that. An accused person will almost always be required to attend their trial so make sure you make every effort to remember your trial date.

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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