Youth Client Avoids Criminal Record After Assault on Police Allegations

October 2025 – Western Canada – No Criminal record

Our office was retained by a concerned mother whose son was charged with assaulting police officers when they intervened in an argument between him and his girlfriend. To make matters worse, the young man was found breaching his release conditions within a month of being arrested. The file required skillful negotiations by trial counsel and ultimately resulted in all charges being withdrawn against the young person.

Background

The young person was in a relationship with a girl that was emotionally unstable. The police were called to intervene when the girlfriend was making suicidal comments. When authorities arrived, the young person made the unfortunate decision to intervene. The conflict then became violent and the young person was charged with assaulting police and released with a number of bail conditions. The file was then further complicated when the young person was found breaching these bail conditions a short time later.

Our office was hired by the client’s mother in order to navigate this challenging situation the youth found himself in.

Defence Strategy and Resolution

Not every prosecution requires an acquittal at trial to obtain a beneficial outcome. Being well versed with the Youth Criminal Justice Act, our office was able to work with the crown prosecutor assigned to the file in order to achieve a rehabilitative solution that ensured no criminal record for our young client. We were able to obtain psychiatric documentation that procured the client’s admittance into a diversionary program for this youth. As a result, following the completion of minimal counselling, all of the alleged offences were withdrawn by crown counsel without a not guilty plea ever being entered. Having the charges withdrawn at an early stage of the prosecution was a blessing for this family who were able to move forward from this challenging situation.

Outcome

This case demonstrates that defence counsel can work with the Crown’s office at times to deliver a fantastic result. It is an example of the need for a lawyer to have experience with the type of file in question. In this case, having extensive knowledge of the diversionary mechanics of the YCJA resulted in all of the concerning charges being withdrawn without the need for a trial.