https://spektorlaw.ca/blog Plain-language guides to Ontario criminal law by Toronto criminal defence lawyer Aaron M. Spektor. en-ca https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/being-a-surety-in-ontario-responsibilities-risks-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/being-a-surety-in-ontario-responsibilities-risks-2026 Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) Asked to be a surety at a bail hearing? Here is what a surety in Ontario promises, what the court asks, how a pledge can be forfeited, and how to remove yourself as a surety. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/absolute-vs-conditional-discharge-canada-criminal-record-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/absolute-vs-conditional-discharge-canada-criminal-record-2026 Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A discharge means a finding of guilt without a conviction. Here is how absolute and conditional discharges differ, who qualifies, and when they disappear from the RCMP database. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/crossing-us-border-with-criminal-record-or-charge-canada-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/crossing-us-border-with-criminal-record-or-charge-canada-2026 Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A Canadian criminal record — or even a pending charge — can affect travel to the United States. A Toronto defence lawyer explains pardons, DUIs, cannabis, the I-192 entry waiver, and why your case outcome matters. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/peace-bond-ontario-section-810-explained-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/peace-bond-ontario-section-810-explained-2026 Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A peace bond can end an assault, threats or domestic charge without a conviction. Here is what a section 810 peace bond is, its conditions, how long it lasts, and what it means for your record. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/stunt-driving-ontario-penalties-licence-suspension-defence-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/stunt-driving-ontario-penalties-licence-suspension-defence-2026 Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) Driving 40–50 km/h over the limit, or 150 km/h anywhere, is stunt driving in Ontario. Here is what happens at the roadside, what a conviction costs, and how these charges are defended. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/uttering-threats-charge-ontario-penalties-defences-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/uttering-threats-charge-ontario-penalties-defences-2026 Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) An uttering threats charge can follow a single angry text or remark. Here is what section 264.1 requires, the 2026 penalties in Canada, and how these cases are defended and resolved in Ontario. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/arrested-in-ontario-your-rights-what-to-say-to-police-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/arrested-in-ontario-your-rights-what-to-say-to-police-2026 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) What you say in the first hours after an arrest can shape your entire case. Here is a plain-language guide to your rights in Ontario — the right to silence, the right to a lawyer, searches, and what happens next. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/criminal-record-suspension-pardon-canada-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/criminal-record-suspension-pardon-canada-2026 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A criminal record can follow you for years — into job applications, volunteer screening, and travel. Here is how a record suspension (formerly a pardon) works in Canada in 2026: who qualifies, how long you must wait, and how to apply. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/how-criminal-charges-get-withdrawn-ontario-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/how-criminal-charges-get-withdrawn-ontario-2026 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) The most common question after a charge: can it be dropped? In Ontario, the answer depends on the Crown — and on what your lawyer can show. Here is how criminal charges actually get withdrawn, stayed, or resolved without a conviction. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/refusing-breathalyzer-ontario-penalties-defences-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/refusing-breathalyzer-ontario-penalties-defences-2026 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) Many drivers believe that refusing a breath test is a way around an impaired driving charge. It isn't. Here is what refusal means in Ontario in 2026, the penalties, and the defences that can apply. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/sexual-assault-charges-ontario-process-penalties-defences-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/sexual-assault-charges-ontario-process-penalties-defences-2026 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A sexual assault allegation is among the most serious and stressful charges a person can face. Here is a measured guide to how these cases proceed in Ontario in 2026 — the process, the potential penalties, and how they are defended. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/criminal-court-process-ontario-first-appearance-pre-trial-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/criminal-court-process-ontario-first-appearance-pre-trial-2026 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) If you have been charged, the months ahead can feel like a maze. Here is a plain-language 2026 guide to how a criminal case actually moves through the Ontario courts — from the first appearance and disclosure to the Crown and judicial pre-trials, resolution, and trial. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/what-happens-at-a-bail-hearing-in-ontario-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/what-happens-at-a-bail-hearing-in-ontario-2026 Sat, 19 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) If a loved one has been arrested and held, the bail hearing is the most important early moment in the case. Here is exactly how bail works in Ontario in 2026 — the grounds, the role of a surety, the conditions, and what to do if bail is denied. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/assault-charges-in-ontario-penalties-defences-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/assault-charges-in-ontario-penalties-defences-2026 Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) An assault charge in Ontario can range from a shove in a bar to a serious aggravated-assault allegation — with very different consequences. Here is how assault is defined and prosecuted in 2026, the penalties, and the defences that work. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/charged-with-drug-possession-in-ontario-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/charged-with-drug-possession-in-ontario-2026 Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A drug possession charge can carry lasting consequences for work, travel, and immigration — but the way these cases are prosecuted has shifted. Here is what a possession charge means in Ontario in 2026, and the defences that apply. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/shoplifting-theft-under-5000-ontario-penalties-record-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/shoplifting-theft-under-5000-ontario-penalties-record-2026 Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A shoplifting or theft-under-$5,000 charge feels minor, but it is a criminal offence that can leave a permanent record. Here is what these charges mean in Ontario in 2026, the truth about those 'civil recovery' letters, and how first offenders can avoid a conviction. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/how-much-does-a-criminal-lawyer-cost-toronto-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/how-much-does-a-criminal-lawyer-cost-toronto-2026 Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) One of the first questions people ask after being charged is what a criminal lawyer will cost. Here is an honest 2026 guide to how criminal defence fees work in Toronto — flat fees vs hourly, what drives the price, Legal Aid, and how to compare quotes. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/domestic-assault-charges-ontario-bail-no-contact-defences-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/domestic-assault-charges-ontario-bail-no-contact-defences-2026 Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A domestic assault charge in Ontario moves fast: police almost always lay it, release comes with a no-contact order, and you may be ordered out of your own home. Here is how the process works in 2026 — and the defences that can end it without a record. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/first-dui-in-ontario-penalties-licence-suspension-defence-2026 https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/first-dui-in-ontario-penalties-licence-suspension-defence-2026 Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) A first impaired driving charge in Ontario brings an immediate licence suspension, mandatory minimum penalties, and a permanent criminal record on conviction. Here is exactly what you face in 2026 — and the defences that a careful review of the evidence can reveal. https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/charged-with-impaired-driving-toronto-what-happens-next https://spektorlaw.ca/blog/charged-with-impaired-driving-toronto-what-happens-next Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT aaron.spektor@gmail.com (Aaron M. Spektor) An impaired driving charge triggers an immediate licence suspension and a criminal court process that moves quickly. Here is what to expect in the first days and weeks — and why the disclosure matters more than the breath reading.