Choosing a Lawyer

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A skilled defence lawyer can certainly have a huge impact on a criminal case. For people who have never been subject to charges, finding the right lawyer can be a very daunting experience. When choosing a lawyer, there are a number of inquiries to make and questions to ask. Ultimately, a person facing criminal charges will want to have trust in their lawyer. In order to gain that trust, the prospective lawyer should be able to satisfy their client that they have the necessary legal knowledge and courtroom skills to obtain a successful result.

Experience Matters

At Mines & Company, our lawyers have over 30 years combined experience in criminal law. Our practice involves 100 percent criminal and motor vehicle defence. Our lawyers both have past experience doing Crown prosecution work. We have the depth of experience to understand how criminal matters are prosecuted and defended. We have the drive and discipline to conduct thorough preparation and legal research in order to obtain successful results, either through negotiated resolution or in the courtroom at trial.

We offer a free, initial consultation so that we can gain your trust. We are confident that we will be able to answer your questions regarding our experience in defending the type of matter you are charged with. Our services include defence of all criminal and driving charges. Our record of success suggests that we, in fact, have had past success in defending charges like yours.

Recent Successes

R. vs. P.S.A. - Vancouver Provincial Court

August 2, 2019

Charge: Assault.
Issue: Whether there was a substantial likelihood of a conviction.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to direct Crown counsel to gaps in the police investigation resulting in Crown deciding to not approve any charge in this matter. No criminal record.

R. vs. S.J. - Port Coquitlam Provincial Court

July 30, 2019

Charge: Driving While Prohibited. Issue: Whether the crown…

R. vs. M.L. - Vancouver Provincial Court

July 30, 2019

Charge: Assault; Uttering Threats (domestic).
Issue: Given the rehabilitative steps our client achieved under our direction, whether there was a public interest in proceeding with the criminal prosecution.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to persuade Crown counsel to stay the charges. All restrictive conditions removed. No criminal record.

R. vs. C.S. - Port Coquitlam Provincial Court

July 29, 2019

Charge: Assault (domestic).
Issue: Whether there was a substantial likelihood of a conviction.
Result: Mr. Mines was able to point to a lack of evidence with respect to the charge resulting in Crown counsel entering a stay of proceedings. No criminal record.

R. vs. N.D. - Richmond Provincial Court

July 22, 2019

Charge: Sexual Assault.
Issue: Whether there was a substantial likelihood of a conviction.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to direct Crown counsel to various flaws in the prosecution's case. On the eve of a 4 day trial, Crown agreed to resolve this matter by way of a nine month Peace Bond. No criminal record.

R. vs. B.M. - Vancouver Provincial Court

July 11, 2019

Charge: Driving While Prohibited.
Issue: Whether it was appropriate for Crown counsel to proceed on this charge, which carries a mandatory minimum 12 month driving prohibition.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to persuade Crown to proceed on the lesser offence of driving without a valid driver's licence. After hearing Mr. johnson's submissions, the court imposed a $500 fine. No driving prohibition.

R. vs. B.C. - Vancouver Provincial Court

July 11, 2019

Charge: Assault Causing Bodily Harm.
Issue: Given the rehabilitative steps our client had taken, whether it was in the public interest to proceed with the criminal charge.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to persuade Crown counsel to stay the criminal charge. Our client entered into a Peace Bond for a period of 9 months. No criminal record.

R. vs. Z.H. - Port Coquitlam Youth Court

July 5, 2019

Charge: Assault Causing Bodily Harm.
Issue: Whether, given the history between our client and the complainant, it was reasonable for our client apply the level of force he used.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to persuade Crown to not approve any criminal charge but, rather, to resolve the matter through Restorative Justice. No criminal record.

Y.Y. vs. Superintendent of Motor Vehicles - Review of Driving Prohibition

July 4, 2019

Charge: Notice of Intent to Prohibit.
Issue: Whether RoadSafety BC had appropriate reasons to prohibit our client from driving for 4 months.
Result: Mr. Johnson was able to persuade the Superintendent's adjudicator that the 4 month driving prohibition was not warranted. The driving prohibition was reduced to 2 months.

R. vs. R.H. - North Vancouver Provincial Court

June 21, 2019

Charges: Assault (x2); Threatening; Breach of Undertaking (domestic).
Issue: Given the rehabilitative steps our client had taken, whether it was appropriate for the Court to convict him.
Result: Mr. Mines was able to persuade Crown to proceed on only a single count of assault. After hearing Mr. Mines' submissions, the Court granted our client a conditional discharge. No criminal conviction.

R. vs. D.I. - Vancouver Provincial Court

June 20, 2019

Charges: Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm; Driving Without Due Care and Attention.
Issue: Whether it was appropriate for Crown to charge our client under the Criminal Code or the Motor Vehicle Act in regard to an accident where our client's vehicle struck a cyclist from behind, causing serious injury.
Result: Mr. Mines was able to provide information to Crown which resulted in Crown proceeding under the Motor Vehicle Act. After hearing Mr. Mines' submissions, the Court sentenced our client to a $1000 fine and limited his ability to drive for 12 months. No criminal conviction. No loss of insurance coverage. No jail.

R. vs. C.G. - North Vancouver Provincial Court

June 12, 2019

Charge: s. 810 Peace Bond Application.
Issue: Given the rehabilitative steps our client had taken, whether the complainant continued to have fear of our client.
Result: Mr. Mines was able to persuade Crown counsel to withdraw its Peace Bond application. No conditions. No record.

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Gaining Your Trust

During your initial consultation, you will meet with one of our lawyers who will:

Confirm the private and confidential nature of all communications between client and lawyer.
Gather information regarding the police investigation and any upcoming court dates.
Review all relevant court documents including police reports to Crown counsel, Informations to obtain search warrants, and certificates of analysis for drug, breath or blood samples.
Gather basic information about you; more specifically, your personal circumstances involving, family, education, and work history! Our goal is to be able to show your best side – the real person behind the allegations.
Provide you, in simple language, with an analysis of the law involved in the particular circumstances of your alleged offence. We will review what the Crown must prove in order to gain a conviction. For example, we will explain the “essential elements” of the charge(s) to you. We will explain how we believe the Crown will try to prove the charge. More specifically, we will review the important pieces of evidence – from human witnesses as well as any other evidence – such as video or photographic recordings and any potential evidence from doctors, scientists or mechanical reconstruction experts.
Provide you with our opinion of the best strategy (or strategies) to defend your case. Our goal is to obtain the best possible result.

Contact Us Now

If you are being investigated by police or if you’ve been charged with a criminal or driving offence, don’t face the problem alone. The prospect of a criminal record or a jail sentence can be daunting. Even if you think there is no defence, we may be able to help. To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our Vancouver lawyers, contact us now.