Katrib Law

Domestic assault charges typically involve allegations of violence towards an intimate partner. These types of charges are often more complex given the dynamic between the accused and the complainant.

Courts often view these situations differently than common assault because of the intimate nature of the relationship. The conditions for bail in these circumstances are usually very strict and prevent communication with the Accused and the Complainant. This leads to the Accused being unable to return home while charges remain outstanding.

Mr. Katrib has the knowledge and experience dealing with these often highly emotional situations. He works hard to ensure that the matter is resolved appropriately, and you are given a fair opportunity to share your side.

Child pornography and child luring are two very serious charges in the Criminal Code.

Charges for child pornography includes possession and distribution of the material. Solicitation of a minor is also called internet or child luring. These matters are complex and require a lawyer who has experience.

Mr. Katrib understands these are very sensitive matters. Being convicted of a sexual offence can result in serious professional or personal damage. Further, a conviction for child pornography carries a mandatory minimum jail term of 6 months – 1 year. Often alleged material is uncovered through a police search. Mr. Katrib has experience navigating police search warrants and determining whether they have been conducted improperly.

Charges may include non-domestic assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats, and assaulting a police officer.

Mr Katrib is a passionate advocate for his clients and understands that these types of charges can result in life-altering consequences. He has worked with clients to resolve many of these types of charges and has successfully argued many charges related to serious violence.

Even in cases where winning at trial is a hopeless pursuit, Mr. Katrib has successfully argued for sentences such as a conditional discharge (meaning no criminal record) and for more serious offences, the sentence being served within the community (CSO).

It includes offences such as first-degree murder, second degree murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, and criminal negligence causing death.

The difference between each charge can be divided into two different categories: what needs to be proven for a finding of guilt and what kind of sentence a person will receive if found guilty.

Murder represents the most serious possible crime someone can be charged with. First degree murder can result in a life sentence. First degree murder requires the Prosecution to prove multiple elements, some of which are “planning” and “deliberation”.

When it comes to defending a homicide charge there are two types of categories of defence: complete defences and partial defences. Each defence can only be raised in a particular set of circumstances and require certain factors to exist. Each defence has specific requirements that must be satisfied in order to be successful.

When a ‘complete defence’ is successfully argued and accepted this means the accused person will be not guilty. In other words, the individual will be acquitted of the criminal charges. Two common defences argued in the context of homicide are self-defence and mental disorder.

Self-defence means that the accused carried out the crime in order to protect themselves, another person or in some circumstances to protect their protect. Further, Criminal Code of Canada provides a defence of “mental disorder”. In order to access to the defence, it must be established that the accused has a “disease of the mind”.

A successful partial defence operates to reduce the charge, even though the accused has been found guilty. Provocation operates as a partial defence and if successful reduces a charge of murder to manslaughter. This has significant and practical implications on the sentence someone will receive.

Property offences include a wide variety of situations, including theft, shoplifting, possession of stolen property, fraud, and robbery.

The allegations that follow from property offences are typically that an individual has taken damages, or possessed another person’s property without their permission.

In addition to receiving jail time and a criminal record, convictions for theft and robbery come with serious consequences such as employment and travel restrictions.

Mr. Katrib has been successful in defending all types of property offences. For instance, he has in-depth experience dealing with improper police searches, which result in a violation of the individual’s Charter rights. When Charter rights have been violated this leaves open an argument that the resulting evidence be throw out as evidence at trial.

One of the more serious of the property offences is robbery, as it is considered a violent offence. This is because robbery is carried out with a weapon and is accompanied by threats and/or acts of violence. As such, the Crown typically requests that an individual charged with robbery be detained pending trial. Mr. Katrib understands the importance of maintaining your liberty, so he works tirelessly to secure your release with fairly imposed bail conditions.

A charge of fraud can encompass a number of different alleged circumstances:

• Impersonation e.g. of another to open a bank account.
• Embezzlement
• Investment Fraud
• Internet Fraud
• Tax Fraud

These are often considered to be “White Collar Crimes” because of their nature. A charge such as this puts your reputation and your future business interests at risk.

Defending these types of charges require a vast amount of resources to handle tasks such as document and disclosure review. Mr. Katrib has the persistence, experience and determination to assist clients in navigating this complex process.

Over the past few decades the number of crimes involving an internet or technology component has increased rapidly. These offences cover a broad range of activities such as money laundering, identity theft/fraud, drug trafficking, child sexual exploitation, or even cyber bullying/harassment.

It is important to hire a lawyer who has experience with technology and understands how it relates to your case.

Mr. Katrib has a proven track-record in working with complex technological aspects. He has hands-on experience sifting through and scrutinizing various pieces of digital evidence obtained by police investigators.

An essential element to building a defence is reviewing whether this information was obtained by the police improperly. Mr. Katrib has successfully been able to identify improper police searches in violation of client’s Charter rights, which has led to such evidence being excluded from the Crown’s case.

Many drug-related offences come with long term and serious consequences if you are convicted. Some drug offences include drug trafficking, drug possession, possession for the purpose of trafficking, drug importation, conspiracy to traffic, and drug production.

A successful defence against drug charges often includes Charter arguments. If evidence was obtained by the police improperly, an application under S.24(2) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms may be made in order to exclude it in particular circumstances.

It is also possible that if a person’s Charter rights are infringed it may result in a stay of proceedings in limited contexts. A number of Mr. Katrib’s cases have resulted in a stay of proceedings. Additionally, a defence of entrapment may be available in some contexts. Entrapment involves a complex set of circumstances. Therefore, it is important to have an experienced lawyer with knowledge of the individual and Charter rights.

Mr. Katrib has in-depth knowledge of how the Charter operates in order to protect your rights and ensure that the justice system remains in check.

Over the years, Mr. Katrib has dealt with various types of weapons offences. The law defines a ‘weapon’ broadly, it can be any item used with the intention to cause death or injury to someone. Weapons offences are considered to be some of the most violent charges. The most common charges include possession of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of an unregistered firearm.

Mr. Katrib has worked with clients charged in very high-profile terrorism cases. Terrorism encompasses a range of different offences. A person can be charged with a terrorist offence for participating terrorism, facilitating terrorism, financing terrorism, and even counselling the commission of a terrorist offence.

Terrorist offences carry serious consequences beyond a criminal record. A conviction impacts an individual’s immigration status and can put their life and future in serious jeopardy.

Mr. Katrib has a wealth of experience dealing with matters in youth court. He understands that as a young person many of these individuals have so much to live. Therefore, he works as hard as possible in order to ensure their future is not negatively impacted by often what is an unfortunate mistake.

This area is governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). If a young person is charged with a criminal offence there are different procedures that must be followed. A youth offender is an individual who is charged with a criminal offence and is between the ages of 12-17 years old.

These charges include failure to comply with bail, obstruction of the police and/or justice, perjury, failure to appeal, and public mischief. Often an individual will be charged with one of these offences in relation to their outstanding substantive criminal charges or if they have breached their probation (e.g. failed to comply with their curfew or report to their probation officer) or a conditional sentence order (CSO).

Mr. Katrib has achieved success in resolving these types of charges in a manner that has no lasting negative impact on clients or their substantive matters.

Mr. Katrib has extensive experience in all matters relating to bail. For example, bail hearings for all offences, revocation hearings, bail reviews, and bail variations.

When a person has been arrested the police may decide to hold them in custody, especially if the person is facing serious charges. If the police decide to keep the person in custody, that person has the right to make an application for Judicial Interim Release (commonly called Bail), so they can remain out of jail pending their criminal charges being addressed.

Depending on the criminal charges being laid and the individual circumstances the Prosecutor may oppose the release of the individual. For example, if the charges are of a particular violent nature with a threat to society or the individual is a serial/repeat offender.

Overall, Mr. Katrib has been very successful in arguing for the release of his clients and negotiating fair conditions for release in the face of strong arguments from the Prosecution. He has also successfully negotiating the deletion of various bail conditions such as curfews. Mr. Katrib works to develop creative solutions for ensuring that bail conditions restrict his client’s livelihood as minimally as possible.

The liberty of his clients and the ability to remain out of jail while their criminal charges are dealt with is Mr Katrib’s top priority.

An appeal is the process where the court’s decision may be reviewed by a higher authority where requested by the Crown or an Accused.

When a person is convicted or acquitted there is a possible ability that the court’s decision may be appealed depending on the particular circumstances. There are a number of reasons that can allow an accused to appeal their conviction or sentence. Reasons for an appeal may be due to an error of the Court, the Prosecutor, or your Defence Lawyer. For example, the judge who made the decision showed some kind of bias or the accused’s lawyer did not act competently.

An appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of conviction. Filing an appeal requires expert knowledge of the appeal process and a precise attention to detail. When filing an appeal, you are only permitted to submit a limited amount of materials and there are various requirements that need to be satisfied in order to initiate the appeal. Therefore, it is essential to retain a lawyer to assist you.

Mr. Katrib is well versed in both oral, written argument, and the legal research skills required in order to be successful in this more nuanced area of the legal system.