Resolutions to Avoid a Criminal Record in Toronto

Resolutions-to-Avoid-a-Criminal-Record-TorontoAlthough conventional options for a person charged with an offence are to plead either guilty or not guilty, there are several other options you should be aware of. Quite often the lowest forms of offences, such as mischief, theft, fraud, possession of stolen property, assault, drug possession, etc, can be diverted out of the criminal justice system. Even more serious charges, such as criminal harassment, indecent exposure, assault police officer, etc, can sometimes be diverted in the right circumstances. The diversion projects are meant to give individuals with no criminal record a second chance at maintaining an otherwise clean record while promoting a sense of responsibility and accountability. The discretion to divert a charge out of the criminal system lies solely with the Crown Prosecutor. In Toronto and Edmonton, there is even specialized unit of prosecutors called the Early Case Resolution (ECR) unit dedicated to reviewing cases for resolution.

For every criminal charge there is a prosecutor, and thus a chance at convincing him or her to resolve the case with no criminal record. The importance of this process cannot be overstated. You may be surprised to know that of the thousands of successful cases our lawyers have handled, most successful results are achieved not through a hard fought trial, but rather behind the scenes in skillful negotiation with Crown Prosecutors. Moreover, in our experience, successful results are often achieved never arguing the law at all, but rather appealing to reason, pragmatism, and compassion of the Prosecutor on the case. Through decades of collective experience we have come to know virtually all the prosecutors we might come in contact with, and what may be important from the prospective of the prosecution. In each and every case we carefully assess the prosecutor and the facts at hand, and custom tailor our presentation accordingly.

The following are the most common types of resolution options that result in no criminal record:

Each set of facts and every person charged with an offence is a little different from the rest, so it is important to obtain a legal opinion to determine if your particular circumstances fit the criteria for diversion out of the criminal justice system  Please read on below for a more thorough description of the various resolution options available.

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Client Reviews

I would like to start by saying thank you to Dylan Finlay for all the great work he has done for me, I thought I was going to be dealing with a criminal record for the rest of my life and he managed to get me a criminal discharge on my case! He is on point and very professional, I would highly recommend Dylan Finlay to anybody who needs help with their criminal charges! Thank you once again Dylan!

K.S.

Dylan Finley handled my case. Right from the start he was polite, professional, attentive and he delivered on all of his promises. I had a case where it was looking really bad for me. I did everything Dylan told me to do and he took care of the rest. My life was filled with stress and worry about the case. Dylan handled my case like a pro and I received the outcome that I desired. I highly recommend Dylan to anyone seeking a criminal defense lawyer. He has changed my life and given me the opportunity to have a bright future.

R.M.

Dylan Finlay is a professional and effective criminal defence lawyer. Dylan was my lawyer for an assault charge and was excellent throughout the entire process. He advised me how to turn myself in and what to expect, and then helped me build a case while I waited for trial. He was responsive to my emails and his confidence and knowledge relieved my stress. Furthermore, he was reasonable priced for the quality of defence he provides. I am very thankful for his services and got a favourable result on my case. I highly recommend his services.

M.A.

Dylan Finlay is an amazing legal representative and person.I was facing a challenging trial. After getting to speak with Dylan he alleviated all of my stress and concern that burdened me. He provided valuable knowledge and was very intelligent and that eased my stress of the approaching Trial Court Dates . He provided an abundance of research and paperwork, he just had that intelligent edge and legal insight that was commendable. He was very kind and a pleasure too speak with and very personable. Look no further! The legal services provided to me by Dylan was an absolute success. Dylan returned my life back to me. He got me out of a very challenging situation. No matter how much I would thank you Dylan, you are the best :)

O.K.

Dylan was such a great lawyer to work with. I had consulted with other lawyers prior, but decided to hire him after our first meeting as he was extremely professional and provided better advice and information than the others had. He was able to have my case resolved so quickly, much faster than what I had expected and achieved the result we wanted. I truly feel that he went above and beyond for my case, which shows me how much he cares about his clients. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for a lawyer.

L.W.
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