Criminal harassment is often equated to stalking, but criminal harassment encompasses a much wider range of activities. The definition of this offence is quite broad, leaving a great deal of room for interpretation. Hence, it is particularly important to have excellent legal representation. If you are charged with criminal harassment, do not hesitate to contact a criminal lawyer with Mississauga court experience.
What is Criminal Harassment?
In the Criminal Code of Canada, criminal harassment includes a variety of behaviours, including following someone, repeatedly communicating with them (e.g., through phone calls, texts, emails, or social media), or showing up at their home or workplace without their consent. To be considered criminal, the behaviour has to make the person reasonably fear for their physical safety or their psychological well-being.
How a Criminal Lawyer in Mississauga Will Defend Your Rights
A criminal lawyer with a Mississauga base will begin your defence as soon as you hire them. If there is any indication that the police performed an illegal search of your property or that they seized anything illegally, your criminal lawyer in Mississauga will use that to have the evidence excluded from your case. If you were not informed of your right to a lawyer or if this right was denied, your criminal lawyer in Mississauga can use this to have the charges against you dismissed.
How a Criminal Lawyer in Mississauga Can Build Your Case
The criminal lawyer for your Mississauga defence will examine the evidence that the prosecution has against you and investigate its validity. They will also look for additional evidence to support your defence. For example, they may interview witnesses who have insights into the alleged harassment, hire a private investigator to collect additional evidence, gather character references for you, and scrutinize documentary evidence such as texts, emails, and social media posts.
To get a conviction, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the criminal harassment and that you intended to criminally harass the victim. A criminal lawyer with
Mississauga experience will attempt to introduce doubt to the judge or jury to call the prosecution’s case into question. There are several ways to do this, including:
Showing That You Lacked Intent
Your criminal lawyer in Mississauga may argue that you did not intend to harass or intimidate the victim. They might do this by providing an alternative explanation for your actions or by showing that you did not know the consequences your actions could have. The criminal lawyer for your Mississauga case might also offer character evidence, present witnesses who observed your actions or heard statements that you made about your actions or use documentation or records to provide context and show that your actions were not intended to harass the victim.
Presenting an Alibi
By proving that you were somewhere else at the time of the alleged harassment, the criminal lawyer on your Mississauga defence team can show that you were not the one who committed the criminal harassment or that the criminal harassment did not, in fact, occur.
Challenging Your Identification
By presenting an alibi and showing that you could reasonably have been mistaken for someone else, your criminal lawyer in Mississauga could successfully argue that another person committed the crime.
Questioning the Victim’s Credibility
Your lawyer might present character evidence, witness testimony, or documentary evidence to argue that the victim of the alleged harassment had a reason to accuse you, is likely to have made a mistake, or was not, in fact, frightened or distressed by your actions.
Negotiating a Plea Deal
You may ultimately decide to plead guilty rather than continue to trial. In that event, the criminal lawyer for your Mississauga defence will work with the prosecution to come up with an arrangement that is optimal for you. Your lawyer will also press for leniency in sentencing by presenting evidence pertaining to your character, level of remorse, and cooperation with the police.
Aswani Datt: Your Criminal Lawyer in Mississauga
If you have been accused of harassment and you need a criminal lawyer in Mississauga, look no further than Aswani Datt. With his extensive experience defending clients in Mississauga and the surrounding area, Aswani Datt will advocate for you fiercely while guiding you through the process with compassion and integrity.
Contact Aswani Datt by phone at 905-755-0104 (toll-free at 1-844-DATTLAW (1-844-328-8529). Our offices are conveniently located at 7111 Syntex Drive, Unit 130, in Mississauga, just north of Highway 401. Get in touch with us today, and let us defend you!
