Kitchener Criminal Lawyers

At Collett Read LLP our lawyers hold the position as the premier criminal defence in Kitchener.

Collett Read LLP is Kitchener’s Premier criminal defence law firm. A high achieving law firm with success in multiple areas of law, the team is known for being fearless in the courtroom and very meticulous with their details when it comes to criminal defence. Choosing Collett Read LLP as your legal defence team sets yourself up for a favourable case outcome.

Being arrested can be a difficult and overwhelming experience for yourself and loved ones. You need a legal team that will be there every step of the way, taking care of the entire process, and navigating you through the court system. Collett Read LLP accomplishes this, while also monitoring for any indications that your rights are being violated by the system. You need a criminal lawyer in Kitchener that is truly dedicated to you, your rights, and your freedom.

Collett Read LLP’s lawyers are passionate about our work and will go the extra mile to help our clients with criminal defence in Kitchener. We know that this can be a hard time in your life, and we try to alleviate some of that stress. To do this, our lawyers get to know you personally to increase our chances of a positive outcome. We intend for this to learn everything we can about your situation and leverage those facts to our advantage. We believe that defending your rights is not sufficient enough; we want you to feel better as well.

As some of the most skilled in Ontario, our lawyers hold a high standard for the quality of legal defence we provide. Compassion is a key element of working with our clients to empathize with their current situation. Our promise as your criminal legal defence is that you are fighting with an army of educated people who care about their clients, refrain from judgement regarding your charges, fight for your rights, mitigate your mistakes and help you move on from this experience. We believe that your charges do not define you as a person. Seeing the future from where you stand now is essential to your choices moving forward. We’ve arranged many resources to aid you in your journey and help your loved ones as well. We want you to feel like our office is a safe harbour from all the stress you are currently facing.

Our lawyers come from highly regarded law school institutions that have molded them into the defenders they’re known as today. When you retain our firm, the entire team will be behind you every step of the way, including our most senior lawyers at the firm. We have former prosecutors on our team as well, who are able to defend against any strategies typically used by those looking to convict our clients.. Experts in their respective areas of criminal law, our lawyers are known to be a powerful force in the courtroom. We are well respected in Ontario as well with our judicial peers understanding the lengths we go to for our clients. We will defend your rights to the very end, and you can be confident in our abilities to get your life back to normal.

Recently the city of Kitchener has increased the usage of RIDE programs in the area due to a higher frequency of impaired driving charges being issued. Our lawyers at Collett Read LLP are well experienced in this area of criminal law, and are eager to protect the rights of those charged with impaired driving charges in Kitchener.

Those convicted of a DUI have their lifestyle changed in some dramatic ways compared to normal. Some common penalties include large fines, car insurance rate increases, and even license suspensions that can be indefinite. Of course, if anyone was injured as a result of the DUI, the repercussions are much greater. One aspect that isn’t talked about regarding impaired driving offenders is the social judgement they face. Our team at Collett Read is committed to provide a judgement free space that focuses on defending your rights as we understand we are people first regardless of our charges. Anyone who has been charged with a DUI can seek help from our lawyers and we will be sure to find you a positive outcome.

Our firm also offers a unique advantage for defending impaired driving charges compared to other criminal lawyers. One of our firms partners – Jessica Read – formerly prosecuted impaired driving charges as her specialty. Her skill and knowledge in this area of criminal law is unmatched in Ontario, giving you the advantage. With her previous experience she can effectively determine strategies used and counter them to find a good outcome for you. This allows her to work beyond the level of a regular criminal lawyer, and defend you on any high level through complex intricacies that will put the law in your favour. Our track record with these cases are second to none and you can be confident about your future. You will find the best outcome in the area if you retain Collett Read LLP as your criminal lawyers for an impaired driving charge.

Check out our page for more information on Kitchener DUI charges and how we can help.

Drug possession and trafficking charges are one of our lawyers’ specialty areas when it comes to criminal law in Kitchener. Those convicted in the city of Kitchener can expect some heavy consequences if you don’t have a solid defence. Fines and imprisonment are the typical punishment for drug related crimes, and it can often be life changing. If you want a strong team behind you to defend you against drug-related charges, our lawyers will be with you every step of the way.

Our Kitchener criminal defence lawyers often find they’re able to create positive outcomes in situations considered to be hopeless. An example of such endeavor occurred when the team at Collett Read LLP defended a client charged with possessing fentanyl with the intention of trafficking back in 2019. As the result of a combined effort across our team, all charges were stayed due to video evidence that was found to be in breach of our clients’ privacy rights.

We have plenty of other similar examples when it comes to serious drug charges, such as a case where a client was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and charged with the importation of Cocaine. Although in possession of 330 grams of Cocaine, we successfully defended our client on these serious drug importation charges and had all charges stayed; our client never had any jail time and they walked away without a criminal record. We never let our clients rights to be breached. Continue reading about our other case successes.

Your mental health is important to us, and we take steps to help bolster your strength during this stressful time. The main way we do this is through instilling your confidence in our abilities, while keeping clear lines of communication open and ensuring that you are well prepared for anything that you may need to face. We will always find the best outcome possible for you, and reduce the charges to as little as possible if not remove them completely. We’ll also help you to avoid the same mistakes in the future to ensure you never have to go through this process again. Continue to read more about how Collett Read LLP helps with Kitchener drug charges.

Sexual assault charges can ruin your reputation socially for the rest of your life. Accusations alone will smear your reputation, so a strong legal defence team is critical to help clearing your name effectively. Collett Read LLP is committed to helping you through this frightening time and bringing your life back to a comfortable normal. We really stress having a strong legal team by your side for these cases, as they are difficult to win and are mentally taxing.

When it comes to sexual assault charges in Kitchener, we take the presumption of innocence very seriously. Often times you will find that criminal lawyers refuse to take on these cases due to their nature, but we reserve all judgement in an effort to help you and your family through this case.  Our lawyers will give you the advantage of being assigned both a male and female lawyer allowing you the benefit of gender perspective that’s often essential to these cases. Compared to other areas of criminal law, the rules surrounding sexual assault are strict which limits the evidence used. Legal teams that don’t understand this area of law to great lengths will likely find their client convicted by the end. Luckily, our lawyers are extremely experienced in this area of the law, and are determined to find a favourable outcome for all of our clients.

An important aspect of this type of charge is that your reputation can be ruined on accusation alone. We will give you perspective on where you stand on this matter, and give you advice on how to handle that part of this predicament you’re in. Helping you mentally get through this is half the battle, separate from protecting your rights. At Collett Read LLP, we treat all our clients as people first, regardless of their charges or accusations. This is will be a tough time for you and your loved ones, but our team of lawyers will help you get through it all, and get your life back on track.

Did you know, minors with criminal charges get a different set of rules and allowances compared to adults? Our lawyers have immense experience in this area of the law, called the Youth Criminal Justice Act. In order to ensure that your child gets the full benefit of these laws, you need an experienced team of lawyers that knows these laws inside and out.

Our defence lawyers value the opportunity to help youth caught up in criminal charges, as we see the future possibilities of the accused, and want to play a role in helping them become contributing members of the Kitchener community. We leverage this in the defence strategy we set up, as it helps our youth clients grow as a person and can assist in reducing their punishment.

Making an impact on the lives of young people is the main reason we’re so passionate about youth cases. We get to know our clients personally, understand how we can help set them on the right path, and ultimately act as mentors, helping them see a bright future for themselves. This also helps to build a stronger defence, as well as allowing for a judge and jury to understand the circumstance surrounding the youthful accused.

 Continue reading more about Youth Criminal Defence.

Call us 24/7 if you or a loved one has been arrested by the Waterloo Regional Police.

DO NOT MAKE ANY STATEMENTS OR TALK TO THE POLICE!

Police will try to pressure you to speak; this can be fatal to your case if you choose to speak!

Call us to discuss your charges before speaking to any law enforcement.