3. Ask for a Crown pre-trial
Question & Answer
How can I get my criminal charges dropped?Your first package of will contain instructions on how to schedule a Crown pre-trial.
The Crown pre-trial is the first chance to talk to the Crown about your case. You should schedule a Crown pre-trial as soon as you have enough disclosure to have a meaningful talk about your case.
The purpose of the Crown pre-trial is to talk about your case with the Crown to:
- try to resolve your charges
- ask the Crown to withdraw your charges if you complete
- address outstanding disclosure issues
- discuss issues, needs (such as an interpreter), and how long the trial will take
If you haven't hired a lawyer and aren't financially eligible to use , you can ask the Crown for a pre-trial. They may speak with you in a private area of the courthouse, or in the hallway outside the courtroom. They may ask you to schedule a judicial pre-trial instead.
If you have hired a lawyer, or have the help of duty counsel, they can ask for a Crown pre-trial.
After the Crown pre-trial
If the Crown doesn't drop your charges, you can:
- have a judicial pre-trial to keep negotiating with the Crown, or to discuss trial issues and how long the trial will take
- set a date for your trial
If your case is likely to take a lot of time in court, you may need a judicial pre-trial before you set a trial date. The Crown or your lawyer can ask for this.