If you are currently dealing with criminal charges, it can definitely be a tough and challenging process. This is particularly true if you do not have the right legal representation by your side.
Moreover, it is often a situation where you do not have a lot of margin, and thus, it is crucial to make an informed decision whenever you are facing those charges because every wrong decision brings you closer to the risk of being imprisoned.
Depending on the crime you are being charged with, the consequences you might face will vary. Indeed, the Criminal Code associates specific sanctions to every crime included in this specific law.
Therefore, it is important to prepare yourself for your situation, especially if you want to make sure that you will not end up in jail for the crime you have or have not committed. However, this can be easier said than done.
With JuriGo, you can understand how to deal with criminal charges without facing jail time!
Is it Possible to Avoid Jail Time if I Have Criminal Charges?
Although it is possible in some cases to avoid jail time, it is necessary to consider the criminal charges you are facing. In other words, it mostly depends on the type of crime you are being accused of.
Hence, the first step will be to analyze the specific details of your case in order to understand what will be the overall punishment. For instance, this will include:
- Your legal defence and
- The evidence against you.
Even if some crimes have a minimum imprisonment period (like murder), most of the crimes only have a maximum limit. Therefore, whenever the Criminal Code does not impose a minimum threshold of imprisonment, the judge is free not to impose jail time.
Of course, on the contrary, if you are found guilty of a crime that imposes a minimum time in prison, the judge will not have the power to decide anything else. Consequently, you will have to spend time behind bars.
This is why it is important to find a good criminal defence lawyer from the get-go. With the right ally by your side, you will be able to negotiate with the other party to be accused of a crime without any minimum imprisonment sentence.
Find the right defence attorney by filling out the form right now, and JuriGo takes care of the rest free of charge!
What Are My Rights While in the Criminal Justice System?
As the defendant, you do have a lot of rights that you should be aware of before finding yourself in front of the judge. One of the most important is that you are innocent until proven guilty.
Therefore, while in trial, you do not have the burden to show that you did not commit the crime in question. The other party will have the complicated task of showing that you are guilty without reasonable doubt.
The majority of your rights will be found directly in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Namely, when you are facing criminal charges, you will have the right:
- To counsel,
- To silence
- To be informed of the criminal charges,
- To a fair (and public) trial,
- To due process,
- To appeal,
- To a reasonable bail and
- To not be subject to cruel or unusual treatment.
Those rights are very important from the beginning of the process until its very end. Whenever you believe that a police officer, the court or the judge from the other side violated one of your rights, you will be able to ask for a remedy.
Plea Options – A Good Option to Not Face Jail Time!
One of the best options to deal with criminal charges without having to go to jail is the plea option. It involves negotiation with the prosecution in order to find an agreement that could reduce the criminal charges against you or have a lighter sentence.
If you are opting for a plea deal, you, as the defendant, will have to plead guilty to the charges you negotiated with the prosecutor. In exchange, you will have a lesser offence. One of the other important advantages of the plea deal is that you will avoid a lengthy trial.
| Good to know! When you enter a plea deal, there is always the possibility of negotiating a sentence that does not require you to spend time in jail. To do so, you must plead guilty to a crime without a minimum sentence in jail. |
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However, before entering a plea deal, it is crucial for a lawyer to look closely at the concessions you are willing to make. By doing so, you will be sure that you are making the right decision for yourself.
Generally speaking, plea deals are somewhat frequent in the criminal justice system because they put an end to the case without having to go through a long trial that is expensive for the defendant and also the government.
From the defendant's perspective, a plea deal should be considered if and only if the evidence is not in your favour and if you and your lawyer believe that there is a risk that you are found guilty.
JuriGo can help you find a criminal defence lawyer to negotiate a plea deal that will not require jail time!
Prepare a Strong Defence – Gather Evidence that will Reduce your Charges!
Another good strategy to reduce the criminal charges against you and, hopefully, not face jail time is to gather all the evidence that will allow you to prepare the best defence possible. According to the amount and the quality of your evidence, your lawyer will be able to build the best case possible.
It is important to keep in mind that all the evidence you will gather must be legal and ethical. If not, not only will the evidence be excluded, but it will also have a negative impact on the overall case.
Document Everything
The first thing you need to do is to document everything you have. By keeping records of interactions, events as well as conversations related to your case, you will have all the tools necessary.
What do you need to keep? Ideally, your records contain not only the dates but also the times, locations and the identity of the persons directly or indirectly involved in the case. If you wish to go a step further, you should separate the files to keep them organized.
This will also be extremely useful when you produce your documents as evidence in front of the court. By having all this information, you will be able to increase the value of the elements you will present.
Keep a Physical Version of your Evidence
The next step will be to find and keep a physical version of the evidence. Once that is done, you should keep them safely protected to make sure that nothing accidentally tampered with them, which would then make them unusable.
What are good physical pieces of evidence? Normally, good examples of evidence will include text messages, objects that have a connection with the case, videos or even documents that will support your arguments.
Bring Witness Statements
Finally, another good strategy is to gather witness statements and use them when you go to court. Hence, if there were any witnesses on the day of the alleged crime, you should make sure to gather their contact information.
Furthermore, you should take the time to take their statements about everything they said or heard when they were on the scene. It is important to do it as quickly as possible to make sure that the people recall exactly what happened.
Not only can the witnesses provide you with some visual perspectives of the incident, but they can also help you better communicate your version of the events. However, in some cases, you must be careful about who you are talking to.
For instance, if you are released with conditions, you need to respect all of them. Sometimes, those conditions will prohibit you from talking with witnesses. That will be the case if you are legally bound to have no contact with people who were present. It is mostly the case regarding the victim.
JuriGo can Help you Find the Right Criminal Lawyer for You!
Most people will not have to face criminal charges in their lifetime. Unfortunately, that also means that you are more likely than not unprepared for such a situation. This will definitely increase the stress you will have to deal with.
When you are facing criminal charges, the most severe sanction will be to spend time in jail. However, it is not only possible to reduce the time of your imprisonment period, but it is also possible, in some cases, to simply get out of it without jail time.
Are you currently looking for a criminal defence attorney near you that will be able to help you avoid jail time? JuriGo can help you find the right professional who will prepare the best defence possible and evaluate your case in order to find the best outcome possible.
What is the next step? Simply fill out JuriGo’s form, and we will take care of the rest for you!