Hamilton Criminal Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been arrested by Hamilton Police, you need a powerful team of defence lawyers on your side.

As Hamilton’s powerhouse criminal defence law firm, Collett Read LLP has an impressive history of successful cases facing some of the most serious of charges. The firm prides itself in providing unmatched care for clients while working towards the best case results possible.

When you retain Collett Read LLP, you’re not just hiring a lawyer, you are retaining the full weight of the firm, backed by a team of highly educated and exceptionally experienced lawyers. With a ‘team approach’ you gain a valuable advantage of multiple perspectives, a wealth of experiences and virtually unlimited resources necessary to provide you with a robust defence against any criminal charges you’re facing. 

From the first call, the team at Collett Read LLP will walk you through every step of the way; you’re never alone during this highly stressful and frightening time. Your legal team will give you the confidence and courage you need during this difficult time.

The presumption of innocence is at the core of the firm. Our team is highly compassionate and non-judgmental regardless of your charges. Your team of lawyers will take the time to listen carefully to your side of the story, get to know you as a person, and understand your specific circumstances; you are more than just a case file. Your lawyers understand how stressful this time is, and they are truly committed to getting you through this difficult time in your life.

Part of your defence begins with preparation, more specifically helping you mentally prepare for anything ahead as we fight your case. Having a small army of highly educated lawyers on your side that care about you does wonders to help strengthen your resolve and keep you mentally focused. Your team doesn’t judge you for your charges, they protect your rights, mitigate your mistakes, and help you come out the other side whole.

Clients get access to a multitude of resources to help them and their family members during challenging times. Our office is not just a law firm, but a safe harbour for those in need of our services.

With those core values in mind, the criminal defence lawyers at Collett Read LLP are all exceptionally educated from top law schools and are highly experienced in defending against criminal charges. The team includes a former crown prosecutor, who worked to convict on charges such as the ones you are facing. This gives you a major advantage to your defence, as the team already knows through experience and specialized training, what the prosecution will likely do.

Being sound on the law is one thing, but our teams’ work in the court room is virtually unrivaled in Hamilton. Every lawyer at Collett Read LLP has been specifically vetted and trained to have a powerful presence in the court room and are well respected amongst their judicial peers. If your rights are infringed upon in any way, we will not hesitate to rise to your defence.

Hamilton police noted a dramatic rise of DUI charges from 2024 to 2025, with a a 53% increase in June 2025 alone. This trend is likely to continue meaning enforcement will increase, likely leading to more RIDE programs and more patrolling the waters in Hamilton bay and along the lake with the Marine unit. If you or a loved one have been arrested for a DUI charge by the Hamilton Police, call Collett Read LLP immediately. 

A Driving Under the Influence conviction can seriously impact your quality of life and alter your future. Typical consequences for these types of convictions can include things such as expensive fines, massive car insurance rate increases or outright insurance denial, and license suspensions. In cases where there was capacity to harm others as a result to impaired driving, or where someone was injured, aggravating factors will be taken into account, possibly increasing the overall seriousness of consequences.

Your personal circumstances and life challenges you face are an important element in your case. Our legal team takes the time to understand and learn about you and your situation, without any judgement, in order to help mitigate as much as we can from the onset. 

Our team approach, including an ex-prosecutor of DUI charges, ensures that your defence is as strong as possible given the circumstances you find yourself in. Having an ex-prosecutor on your side is a major advantage that is rare to have as part of a defence team, as Jessica Read has been molded into an extremely knowledgeable and capable defence lawyer. Armed with knowing the tactics the Crown will try to use to find you guilty, as well as experiencing countless defence arguments from the leading law firms across Ontario, your defence will be crafted to fight against the Crowns tactics. Through this you can be confident that you are getting the best when it comes to defending against DUI charges in Hamilton.

Drug possession and trafficking charges are serious offenses that carry the potential of major fines and jail time, not to mention the fallout of having a criminal record such as difficulty in gaining meaningful employment and extreme difficulty travelling internationally. When you retain the team at Collett Read LLP you can be confident that you have a strong team fighting for your rights and seeking the best possible outcome to your specific situation. 

With a successful track record Collett Read LLP should be your first call when facing any drug charges in Hamilton. One such success was when the team defended a client charged with possession for the purposes of trafficking in 2019. During this extremely tough case, the team found video evidence that showed a breach of our client’s privacy rights according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. With a strong argument coupled with video evidence, all charges were stayed, our client walked away without any jail time, fines, and without a criminal record. 

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is taken very seriously within our firm. Our whole team upholds these freedoms and defends any client who decides to retain us, regardless of charges. We do not judge you and we understand your charges do not define who you are as a person. We are here to get you through this difficult time in your life.

With such a thorough understanding of the Canadian legal system, our lawyers are incredibly knowledgeable in relation to drug charges. The team works tirelessly to build strong defence cases and negotiate from a position of power with the prosecution to seek the best outcome for you and your unique situation.

If you or a loved one is facing simple possession charges, or more serious charges such as drug trafficking, Collett Read LLP is here and more than capable to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Whether facing simple possession or more serious drug trafficking charges in Hamilton, the team at Collett Read LLP are dedicated to helping you achieve the best possible outcome in your case. 

Sexual Assault charges are very serious. Mere allegations of sexual assault can damage your reputation, while a conviction can destroy your reputation for life; convictions could lead to becoming part of a sex offender registry, not to mention prison time. With stakes this high, having a powerful legal team working for you is critical to making it out the other side as best as you can.

Many criminal defence lawyers refuse to take on charges of sexual nature, however we hold no judgement against our clients for their charges and take the presumption of innocence very seriously. Understanding your specific set of circumstances and challenges, as well as getting to know you as a person, is critical for your defence and ultimately helping to mitigate any damage and get your life back on track.

When you retain Collett Read LLP in Hamilton for sexual assault charges, you are retaining an entire legal team, not just a single lawyer. In this team, you are provided with both male and female lawyers, giving much-needed perspective necessary to create a strong and robust defence. Having a mixed gender team is critical, as our experiences defending against sexual assault charges often helps to frame perspectives in a way that will be incredibly valuable to your overall defence. 

Sexual assault is also a very complex area of law, as there are many firm rules surrounding how evidence against you is handled. Experience is critical, as it allows your legal team to find these small but fatal errors with evidence. If your legal team doesn’t understand all these complexities, defendants could find themselves with negative outcomes that could have otherwise been defended against.

Our team of lawyers are supremely skilled in this complicated area of the law and will do everything in their power to prove your innocence or mitigate the consequences, getting you the best possible outcomes.

Being accused alone can lead to reputation damage and unnecessary stress in your life. Our lawyers can help guide you though this difficult time, including such things as providing perspective and how you can deal with any loved ones affected by your charges. We understand that there is so much more than just getting through these charges legally, we’re here to help with that ongoing journey. Our goal is to defend your rights according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and get you through the other side of this process in one piece. This will be a difficult time, but we will do all in our power to help you get through it. With Collett Read LLP on your side, we’ll make you see the light in this often dark circumstance.

We are proud to have protected the rights of our clients, while helping them get their lives back on track. From successfully defending clients in some very unique cases, mitigating serious consequences, to fully exonerating others, retaining Collett Read LLP will give you an edge in your defence.

Robbery: Our client was facing two or more years of a jail sentence, however the team successfully argued against the robbery charges causing the Crown to completely withdraw all charges. Our client walked away.

Dangerous Driving and Fail to Remain: What was looking like jail time for our client, we were successful in having the dangerous driving and fail to remain charges withdrawn before the trial. Our client walked away without a criminal record.

First Degree Murder: After a 3-week trial and a jury deliberation of two days, our client was found not guilty on all charges. Our client was arrested two years before this and we’re happy to see him a free man.

Historical Sexual Assault: Our client was fully exonerated of sexual assault charges due to the depth of our cross examination, making the complainant’s story impossible to believe. The verdict for this case was uniquely given as soon as Mr. Collett concluded his submissions, which often happens days later, showing the power of the defence given.

While these examples do not guarantee how future cases will turn out, they exemplify the skill and experience all of our lawyers have in criminal defence law. Visit our cases page to read more of our successful cases.

Financial assistance is a common need when having to deal with legal fees, especially when you want strong and experienced lawyers to defend you. at Collett Read LLP, we believe that everyone deserves having their rights defended against criminal charges, regardless of their current financial situation. That is why we accept legal aid certificates, giving you access to strong and committed defence lawyers.

You deserve to have a team on your side during what is likely one of the most difficult times in your life. The team at Collett Read LLP will help you get through this experience whole, and give you a bright future to look forward to.

In order to use Legal Aid, you must qualify for it financially through Legal Aid Ontario. With your legal aid certificate and allotted hours, you will be able to retain our team. The lawyers at Collett Read LLP are efficient and highly effective with their time, getting the most out of what you are given by Legal Aid to reach the best possible outcome for you.

All types of criminal charges are accepted by our firm using Legal Aid certificates, even the most serious criminal charges. Regardless of the charges you are facing, our lawyers are determined to defend you and your rights.

The Youthful accused in Hamilton need help. Not only do they need a strong defence lawyer, but they need mentors to show them the bright path towards a positive future. Collett Read LLP is proud to defend clients under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and help youthful clients find a positive path forward.

The Youth Criminal Justice Act is a special type of law that has many differences from adults facing criminal charges. Experience is critical to navigate and fully utilize the Youth Criminal Justice Act in order to get maximum benefit for the accused youth facing criminal charges. The lawyers at Collett Read LLP are well experienced and trained to handle youth criminal cases with the appropriate and available tools at each stage of the process.

The defence and rehabilitation of youth that find themselves in trouble with the law is critical for the next generation of Hamiltonians and the city in which we all live. Thankfully, those under the age of 18 have more powerful rights than adults that can be leveraged in their favour in order to help them correct mistakes they may have made. At young ages, people are still developing into fully contributing members of society, so giving them the opportunity and more importantly the tools to rehabilitate is critical for all our futures.

As you can see, our passion for this area of the law grants us to perform our best and change the course of, not only our young client’s life, but our community’s future as a whole. We personally get to know our clients, and if they need a mentor of sorts in this difficult time, we are happy to be there for them. Our goal is to help our young clients understand their Rights, as well as show them the path back to normalcy if they are caught up in criminal activity. 

If you or one of your family members requires legal defence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, don’t hesitate to contact Collett Read LLP to defend the rights of minors and help them find their path back to a bright future.

If you or a loved one has been arrested by Hamilton Police, call us immediately 24/7.

DO NOT MAKE ANY STATEMENTS TO THE POLICE!

Contact us and we will immediately arrange everything, while protecting you and your freedoms.