1. Get legal help
Question and answer
How do I prepare for a guilty plea?You should not until you've thought carefully about your options. Think about the Crown's case against you and what can happen if you plead guilty.
Ask a lawyer or paralegal for advice about:
- the Crown's case against you, including the strength of the they have
- any defences you may have
- any violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that might have occurred during the investigation or your
- what happens when you plead guilty, including going to jail and getting a criminal record
- how long you might be in jail
- other consequences, for example, your driver's license getting suspended by the Ministry of Transportation for driving offences
If you're not a Canadian citizen, you should also talk to a lawyer about potential immigration consequences. You can lose your status or get removed from Canada if you are of certain crimes.
A lawyer can try to negotiate the best deal possible for you.
You can hire a paralegal to represent you if you've been charged with a that has a maximum of:
- 2 years in jail,
- a $5,000 fine, or
- both.
If you cannot afford legal fees
If you cannot afford a lawyer or paralegal, contact Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to find out what free or low-cost services you might be able to get. If you qualify for a Legal Aid certificate, you can choose a lawyer and LAO pays for a certain number of hours of their work.
There are also LAO lawyers at the courthouse called duty counsel. Duty counsel gives free legal advice to people who cannot afford a lawyer. Duty counsel may be able to:
- give you information and advice about what happens when you plead guilty, including going to jail and getting a criminal record
- review your with you to help you understand your case
- help you find out if you qualify for Legal Aid
- help you in court on the date of your and make sentencing submissions on your behalf
Mental health court support workers
If you live with mental health issues, there may be mental health court support workers who can come to court with you and help you through the legal process. You can get information about how to connect with a mental health court support worker at your local agency office of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).