Non-Domestic Assault Sentencing Insights

I got some good news for you today if you’re facing a simple assault charge. That is where there’s no injuries and I’m talking about a non-domestic so it’s not your spouse, your girlfriend. These types of cases are not quite as serious as domestics. Domestic assaults considered very aggravated. The Criminal Code says it’s aggravated, for example. So basically, there’s more room to maneuver in negotiation with the crown. That’s the good news hire a good lawyer, there’s room to maneuver, you’ve got a good background and you made a mistake in a bar one night, or on the street or maybe with a friend, your mate your two males in your male friend, you and I are out, you got drunk and you punched him stupidly. That’s a onetime thing. So what happens here, is well first of all, the maximum of sentences see very harsh, harsh like summary conviction, the maximum sentence of six months of jail, the crown elects by indictment, the maximum of sentence is five years. You could face a fine plus jail term too, but you don’t need to worry about that. I mean, if you’re if you’ve got a good background, you’ve never been in trouble before, there’s obviously no injuries, first of all, I’m usually going to be able to negotiate to avoid your criminal record. That’s, I won’t say that’s a given, but we’re going to present your background, and if we need to get you in counseling, we will. We’re going to do whatever it takes your negotiations and meetings with judges to get the proper sense to avoid criminal record. The other bit of good news is because it’s a non-domestic, it’s easier to get a peace bond too. I mean, peace bond completely avoids a criminal record. We can get the charges dropped. I can often do that in these types of situations. So, it’s all a win-win for you. You made a mistake. There’s no defence you’re admitting it and you’re doing the right thing in that context and then avoiding a criminal record to protect your future is the beautiful thing about it. And you know, it’s a different story, though, if you’ve got multiple prior convictions, for example, for assault and you’re just kind of a career criminal, you could be facing months and months in jail for that because, you know, criminal records of jail escalate. If you’ve got priors, they escalate as time goes in. Even for a minor charge. But for you, it’s all good news today. Thank you for watching our video. We are absolutely committed to bringing you the best possible criminal and DUI educational videos. If you found this video helpful, please like it and subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you’ve been charged with a criminal offence in Ontario and require our services, please click on the link in the description below.