When You've Been Charged with Assault in Calgary: Part 2

This is the second installment of a two-part article on what to do when you've been charged with an assault in Calgary. You can read Part 1 here.

Being charged with a criminal assault in Calgary is all too easy. Knowing what to do when you've been charged is harder. In the first part of this article, I gave you three important pieces of advice if and when you find yourself facing an assault charge:

Take your assault charge seriously.
DON'T contact the alleged victim in your assault case.
DO contact a criminal defence lawyer as soon as possible.

These three things are the most important and immediate things to keep in mind when you're arrested for and/or charged with assault in Calgary, as they will prevent you from harming your potential defence and will give you access to all of the relevant information and all of your options as you plan your defence. This is just the beginning, though; putting your assault case behind you can be a long process, and there are other things you can do to help your defence.

4. Be Honest With Your Criminal Defence Lawyer

In order to provide the best possible defence against your assault charges, your Calgary criminal defence lawyer will need to know all of the facts surrounding your case. It's important that you are entirely honest with your lawyer, providing all of the relevant details and answering all questions completely and accurately. When surprises crop up in the later phases of your case, it can significantly harm your defence. Get the facts laid out from the outset, and you'll be in the best possible position to put your charges behind you quickly and completely.

5. Don't Discuss Your Assault Case on Social Media

This is good advice for all criminal charges, but can be even more important in assault cases where you might personally know the alleged victim. Anything that might be interpreted as a threat against the victim, or that could be construed as harassment, could be very damaging to your case. It's best not to say anything publicly about your case at all, and to let your defence lawyer, the Calgary Police, and Crown prosecutors sort things out. No one else has any need to know any of the details of your case, so don't broadcast them across the World Wide Web.

6. Discuss Your Defence Options and Listen to Your Lawyer's Advice

Your Calgary criminal defence lawyer will bring a lot of knowledge and experience to your side, and will help you understand all of the options available to you in your defence against a criminal assault charge. The decisions are ultimately yours to make, though, so be sure to listen carefully and make sure you understand what your lawyer discusses with you. No case has any guarantees, but you'll give yourself the best chance possible by listening to your lawyer's explanations and advice and making informed decisions with their assistance.

For a free initial consultation with Calgary criminal defence lawyer Susan Karpa, contact her office today.