If you have been accused of a crime in Brampton, you may be wondering if you need a criminal lawyer with a Brampton location or if you should be casting a wider net. In the paragraphs below, we will talk about the reasons why having a local criminal lawyer is critical to your defence strategy.
Familiarity with the Local Police Service
Every police force is different. They may have different command structures, procedures, and internal regulations, and they will have contacts in the community that are different from the contacts that other police departments may have. A criminal lawyer in Brampton is likely to have interacted with the Peel Regional Police on many occasions and may even have well-developed professional relationships with individual police officers and detectives.
This type of familiarity can be enormously helpful to you if you have been charged with a crime. A criminal lawyer with Brampton experience will be more successful advocating for your rights because they can rely on the relationships that they have built. A good criminal lawyer in Brampton will have a good reputation with the police on which they can rely when they interact with them.
Access to Brampton Resources
Although some of it will happen behind the scenes, your criminal defence will require plenty of resources, including photocopying and printing services, transcription services, paralegals and other legal personnel, messenger services, social services staff, library services, expert witnesses, and potentially private investigators. A criminal lawyer with a Brampton base can locate and access these resources much more quickly than an attorney from outside the area.
A criminal lawyer in Brampton will not only know where and how to get things done, but they will know how to get it done correctly. This saves time and money and, critically, can mean the difference between a successful, effective defence and one that falls short. In the criminal justice system, falling short can have devastating consequences.
Knowledge of Local Laws and How They Are Applied
Even though criminal laws are uniform across Canada, it is up to provinces and municipalities to decide how those laws will be enforced and how suspects are treated. Certain crimes may be handled slightly differently in Southwestern Ontario than they are in Brandon, Manitoba.
If you have a criminal lawyer with a Brampton location, they will be highly familiar with the way crimes are dealt with, and they will know how to develop a defence strategy for you based on that knowledge. The approach that your lawyer takes may be completely different, even from one part of the GTA to another. Having a criminal lawyer in Brampton allows you to take advantage of these nuanced differences and avoid problems that might arise from ignorance of the differences.
Community Reputation
Having a good reputation within the legal community and the broader Brampton community is never detrimental. Your criminal lawyer in Brampton may need access or information that will be easier for them to get if people hold them in high regard. This may be particularly important if they need access to people who have been in contact with the criminal justice system before. It can be difficult for someone from outside the community to gain the trust needed to interact with people who are suspicious of the legal community.
Understanding the Local Culture
Familiarity with local customs and different ethnicities is not always important, but when it is, it can make the difference between effective communication and exchanges that are plagued with misunderstandings. In a multicultural community like Brampton and many other parts of the GTA, culture plays a role in many aspects of life. A criminal lawyer with Brampton experience will be more aware of and sensitive to cultural factors that might impinge on your case.
Convenience
Having a criminal lawyer with a Brampton base means that meeting with them is more convenient. You can have a quick 10-minute chat when you drop by their office, which is easier and less expensive than scheduling a 30-minute Zoom call with a lawyer in Pickering.
When your lawyer needs to pick something up at the office, run to the courthouse, or meet with another legal professional or a witness, it is much easier for them to do so if they have an office in Brampton that they can quickly access. This makes building your defence more efficient and less expensive. This level of convenience can enable a lawyer with a Brampton office to research your case more thoroughly and efficiently, allowing them to craft a stronger defence.
Timeliness
There may be times when you need your lawyer to be close at hand. For example, if you are taken into custody and the police are pressuring you to confess or pushing you for information, it is highly advantageous if your lawyer can be there right away. If your criminal lawyer has a Brampton office, they can be at your side more quickly to assist you. They will also have staff locally who can stand in for them if needed.
Your criminal lawyer in Brampton is also unlikely to be late for court or for appointments with you or other people related to your case. As a resident of the GTA, you are probably familiar with the experience of trying to get from Scarborough to Mississauga in a timely manner. This sort of delay can be extremely detrimental to your case, especially if you are in police custody or you have a court appearance scheduled.
Familiarity with Brampton Itself and The Surrounding Area
To build a strong defence, your lawyer will need to have a good understanding of the crime that you are alleged to have committed. A criminal lawyer with a Brampton base will have a good understanding of the various neighbourhoods in Brampton, the road system, and which places are frequented by which people at what times.
This local knowledge puts a criminal lawyer in Brampton 10 steps ahead of someone from outside the area. A lawyer from another part of the GTA would need to rely on someone local for this information or learn this information themselves. A sound knowledge of the geography, demographics, social life, prevalence of crime, and other related factors make it essential to have a criminal lawyer in Brampton.
Experience with the Brampton Courts
If your criminal lawyer is in Brampton, they will have plenty of experience with the courthouses and the people who work there. It will be much easier for them to access information, fill in forms correctly, deliver them to the proper officials, and navigate the courthouse itself.
This familiarity can make things more efficient and vastly reduce errors. Having been in each of the courtrooms is also an advantage, especially when they need to guide you through the building. For example, if you are anticipating spectators at your bail hearing or your trial, a criminal lawyer with Brampton experience will know the most discreet ways in and out of the courthouse.
Knowledge of Policies and Procedures
Every municipality is different in the way the criminal justice system works. Familiarity with matters such as which forms to fill out for which requests, who to ask if you need a hearing date moved, and what typical sentences are for certain crimes can be invaluable to mounting a defence efficiently and effectively.
A criminal lawyer with Brampton experience will have learned how to get things done in the Brampton criminal justice system. Critically, they will know how to avoid things that could be detrimental to your case. This information is not always codified in a rulebook and must be learned on the job. There is no one better to defend you against criminal charges in Brampton than a criminal lawyer in Brampton.
Conclusion
If you are facing criminal charges in Brampton and need a lawyer with the Brampton office, look no further than Zamani Law Firm. We have the local experience, resources, and access to information that can make the difference between a fresh start in life and more serious consequences. We have defended clients against all types of criminal charges, and we stand prepared to help you as well.
The team at Zamani Law is compassionate, conscientious, meticulous, and tireless. We will provide you with the best defence possible. Remember the first rule of being charged with an offence: call a lawyer. Make that lawyer Zamani Law. Contact us today for a free consultation.
