The criminal justice system changed this past week. As has been reported in many media outlets, my friend and colleague (whom I will not name in this post) was arrested…
A few months back, I posted a commentary on a case that came out earlier this year concerning institutional delay in the context of DVD disclosure. In drinking and driving…
The Laying of the Charge Upon being caught shoplifting by store staff, an individual will likely be detained until the police can attend. At the point of detention, this person…
Dropping the Charges One of the most frequent calls I receive is from a complainant after their significant other has been charged with domestic assault or other domestic related charges asking how…
The Youth Criminal Justice Act is designed to protect young people. This makes practical sense and is consistent with much of the research about adolescent brain development. Essentially, if a…
I have written a fair bit about mandatory minimum sentencing and how the amendments to the Criminal Code will not deter crime. Taking the power out of the hands of…
I'm again in Las Vegas for the annual Public Defender's Retreat. This is my fifth time attending this conference. My first year there was less than a handful of Ontario attendees. …
The pocket dial is a common occurrence in the age of smartphones. Most people have made them and most people have received them. In an Oregon city recently, the recipient…
In a special analysis piece published in the Star entitled "Analysis: Why we should worry about who we're jailing", University of Toronto doctoral student Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, explores incarceration statistics and…
The two most common type of "breach" charges seen in court are fail to comply with a recognizance and breach of probation. They involve one disregarding a court order in…
