Frequently Asked Questions
Normally a criminal case will arise when police arrest a person for allegedly commiting a crime. Police have the authority to arrest once they have reasonable grounds to do so. Once the person has been arrested and charged with an offence, they are either released by police, or are held in custody for a bail hearing. Once released a date is set for.a first appearance in court.
At the court date, the crown attorney will call lawyers cases first, and well before calling accused persons who are not represented. The case is then notmally adjourned to a future and thereafter additional courr dates. Once you retain Norman Panzica, he will have you sign a Designation of Counsel, which excuses you from attending the first date.and most subsequent dates as he will appear on your behalf and speak in court for you.
You should call Norman Panzica immediately and arrange a meeting well in advance of your first court date
Disclosure refers to evidence that the crown attorney intends to use against you in the prosecution of the charges you are fiacing. This includes items like police officer notes, witness statements, video surveillance and forensic evidence. The crown attorney is required to disclose all of the evidence it intends to rely upon. Normally Disclosure will come in stages as the matter proceeds through the courr process, particularly in more complex matters.
Once retained Norman Panzica will immediatly request Disclosure from the crown attorney and review it on receipt. The disclosure is reviewed to assess the merits of the case and to note what is missing so that it can be requested from the crown attorney. Full disclosure provides the opportunity to assess the legal case against you.
In our criminal justice syatem, Police lay charges and the crown attorney prosecutes them in court. Once a criminal charge is beforre the court , the crown attorney may at any point in the process advise the presiding justice of its desire to have the charges “withdrawn” and that it no longer intenda to proceed with matter The “complainant”,which refers to the person or persons allegedly harmed, have no authority to force the crown attorney to “drop” the charges.
Legal fees in criminal cases are fully discussed at the first client meeting and depend on many considerations including the nature and complexity of the criminal charges and the length of the proceedings.
While clients have the option of paying hourly rates, most of our clients opt for block fees, which provide a fixed range of pricing to defend their matter. Clients tend to prefer block fee benefits including more certainty on the anticipated legal fees and expenses at the outset, and the ability to speak with Norman Panzica in person or by phone at any time and as much as they like at no additional cost.
Call Norman Panzica immediately at 4164208795 for a free consultation