Weyburn, Saskatchewan Criminal Defence Lawyers

Have you or a loved one been arrested or charged with a crime in Weyburn, SK? If so, you will need help from an expert criminal lawyer to defend your freedom and future. Any criminal charge is extremely serious.

 

We will rigorously examine and investigate the facts of your case and explore every avenue for minimizing or eliminating the impact these charges have on your life and future. We are adept at getting charges dropped, dismissed, diverted, or reduced. We are also skilled trial lawyers who are fully prepared to fight for acquittal should your case go to trial.

 

We handle all types of criminal charges, including the most common charges we see here in Saskatchewan. 

 

Weyburn Theft, Shoplifting, and Fraud Lawyer

In Saskatchewan, theft, shoplifting, and fraud are really one crime: using some means to deprive someone of their rightful property. The only difference is in the method. Fraud uses deception, whereas theft usually involves physically moving the property from one place to the other.

 

Saskatchewan classifies these crimes as thefts or frauds over $5,000 and thefts or frauds under $5,000. While the penalties are lesser for thefts under $5,000, these charges still have the potential to alter your life for the worse.

 

We have multiple defences we can use in many theft cases. Much will depend on the extent of the evidence that’s arrayed against you. 

 

Weyburn Homicide Lawyer

Saskatchewan has a high homicide rate, and so we see a lot of these cases. Homicide covers both murder and manslaughter.

 

Murder is the charge when:

• The accused allegedly caused the death and intended to cause the death;
• The accused allegedly meant to cause bodily harm and knew doing so could cause death, or was reckless about whether death would be the result;
• The accused is alleged to have accidentally caused the death while committing a robbery;
• The accused is alleged to have caused a death while “pursuing an unlawful object” that they knew or should have known was likely to cause a death.

 

Manslaughter occurs when a person commits an objectively dangerous act that was likely to injure another person and that act caused a person’s death. For example, if you fire a gun into a building then you could be charged with manslaughter. Even if you thought that building was empty, there is always the high likelihood that another person will be injured by such an act. 

 

Weyburn DUI/DWI and Dangerous Driving Lawyer

Driving under the influence is one of the most common charges in Saskatchewan, and many of them are first offense crimes. Nevertheless, driving under the influence of alcohol or cannabis can create massive problems that will follow you around for the rest of your life, and can result in jail time.

 

Fortunately, many of the tests that law enforcement uses to gather evidence are hideously flawed. We can often help with these cases by attacking the validity of the evidence. Sometimes these cases are also ripe for negotiation or deferred prosecution agreements. 

 

Weyburn Drug Offenses Lawyer

The severity of these cases depends on three factors: which drugs you are accused of possessing or using, how much of the drug you are alleged to have possessed, and whether it was evident you intended to manufacture, sell, or traffic drugs. 

 

Federal law establishes a schedule of drugs. Schedule 6 drugs are the least severe and cover substances meant to help an individual manufacture substances. Schedule 1 drugs are the most severe, the “hard” drugs. 

 

The defence we would use in these cases depends entirely on the facts of your case. Note that federal prosecutors are rigorous in their pursuit of drug traffickers and tend to throw a lot of resources at these cases. If you are being charged with a major drug offense, you really will need an experienced lawyer with federal experience. Fortunately, our team has this experience. 

 

Weyburn Assault and Threats Lawyer

In Saskatchewan, an assault is any threat or non-consensual unlawful touching of another person with an intent to apply force. It covers domestic or spousal assault charges as well. Any charge is serious, even charges wherein you merely issued a threat or got into what seemed like a minor, drunken bar brawl at the time.

 

There are three levels of assault charges. Common assault covers threats or minor touching that does no permanent harm. Assault with a weapon or assault that causes bodily harm is assault that causes any injury that interferes with the health or comfort of the person and that is more than transient and trifling in nature…which means you can face charges at this level for inflicting a severe bruise. Aggravated assault covers any case where the victim was severely hurt or hospitalized: wounded, maimed, disfigured, or injured to the point where their life was in danger. 

 

Events can sometimes spiral out of control, and sometimes jokes come across as threats. We understand. We will investigate the full facts of your case and explore every avenue for helping you defend yourself against these charges. 

 

Weyburn, SK Sexual Assault Lawyer

The charge of sexual assault covers all forms of unwanted, non-consensual sexual touching, from a single inappropriate caress all the way up to forced sexual intercorce. You may be charged with a less serious summary offense or a more serious indictment. 

 

Much hinges on intent and consent: did you think you had consent? Did you intend the touch to be sexual? Every case is different, and some won’t be so easy to defend. 

 

Do not contact the alleged victim. Once you know you’re being charged, nothing you say will make it better. Contact a lawyer right away. 

 

Other Crimes

The Saskatchewan criminal code is complex, and there are too many other crimes to list here. We’ve covered some of the most common, but we handle all criminal charges. 

 

If you’ve been arrested and charged, don’t hesitate to contact us, even if you don’t see the specific charges listed here. 

 

Get Help Today 

The team at Merchant Law has decades of experience helping defendants like you. We work hard to find every avenue for your defence. Every case is different, but we are thorough and diligent.

 

We’re also empathetic. We don’t judge you…just give you the strongest defence we can muster. 

 

If you’re in trouble, don’t wait. Call (306) 848-7777 to schedule a case review today.