Dominion Criminal Defence and Appeals

Dominion Criminal Defence and Appeals Facing criminal charges, especially for the first time, can be an incredibly frightening experience. We're here to help. Call, text, email. No cost. No commitment.

Office: 226 667 5767
Urgent: 226 984 6737 (inc. text)
Email: [email protected]

The U.S. just invaded another country on the pretence of drugs (set aside the irony of the Hernández pardon only a month...
01/03/2026

The U.S. just invaded another country on the pretence of drugs (set aside the irony of the Hernández pardon only a month earlier).

It’s now telling the world it will run that country and tap its reserves.

No leader of the free world; the U.S. is a threat that frankly no country in the Americas (including Canada) can defend against for the foreseeable future.

If there was ever a reason to abandon the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, this is it.

South of the border it goes.
09/03/2025

South of the border it goes.

Law students take note: on occasion, judges and opposing counsel will read your material. AI should not be used for resu...
05/10/2025

Law students take note: on occasion, judges and opposing counsel will read your material.

AI should not be used for resumes, dating profiles, or factums.

Credit to the National Post.

Breaking news: hiring a client in an attempt to secure a lucrative contingency fee is a bad idea.
03/14/2025

Breaking news: hiring a client in an attempt to secure a lucrative contingency fee is a bad idea.

Don’t try to tase an officer while the probes are still in you. 🙄
10/13/2024

Don’t try to tase an officer while the probes are still in you. 🙄

In a surprise move, Hoggard has abandoned his appeal to the Supreme Court from a conviction that landed him a five-year ...
10/10/2024

In a surprise move, Hoggard has abandoned his appeal to the Supreme Court from a conviction that landed him a five-year prison sentence.

This follows Ontario’s highest court denying him bail while he pursued that appeal.

Interestingly, the Ontario Court of a Appeal did find a material error occurred when the trial judge allowed a Crown expert to testy about the “neurobiology of trauma, and the broad spectrum of responses to sexual assault” in an apparent effort to explain the delay in reporting.

On this point, the Court held that, while “there is no standard way for a complainant to act in response to a sexual assault … expert testimony is not necessary to explain this to the jury.”

Unfortunately for Hoggard, this was not enough for his appeal to succeed.

The complainant testified that Hoggard “took off her clothes, then r***d, choked, hit and urinated on her … He also call...
10/05/2024

The complainant testified that Hoggard “took off her clothes, then r***d, choked, hit and urinated on her … He also called her ”dirty little piggy.”

Haggard said they, “had a consensual one-night stand after flirting and kissing”. He never “hit or choked her [or] pinned her down”. The complainant also “urinated on him at his request.”

The judges instructions explained for Hoggard to be found guilty, they must believe beyond a reasonable doubt that “the complainant did not consent to any or all other acts”; and that Haggard knew of this. “Silence, submission, or lack of resistance” are not consent.

The defence theory was that the complainant was in a relationship and was caught being unfaithful; the Crown held that no one other than the complaint’s cousin (who was there that night) even knew of the encounter.

In the end, the jury was not satisfied that some or all the acts occurred and/or that they were not consensual.

A noble effort but perhaps a step too far? “Downplaying” residential schools becoming a criminal offence?(This is a priv...
09/26/2024

A noble effort but perhaps a step too far? “Downplaying” residential schools becoming a criminal offence?

(This is a private member’s bill so unlikely to pass into law.)

Lior Samfiru, a prominent employment lawyer is being disciplined by the Law Society of Ontario and facing another discip...
06/05/2024

Lior Samfiru, a prominent employment lawyer is being disciplined by the Law Society of Ontario and facing another disciplinary hearing in Alberta for threatening those who posted negative reviews on Google.

If a lawyer makes such a threat to you, you may want to file a complaint with the Law Society. In the meantime, be wary of lawyers boasting hundreds of glowing reviews.

👏👏👏
05/22/2024

👏👏👏

The court system is not “disastrous” by any measure, especially when it comes to complainants alleging sexual offences. ...
05/15/2024

The court system is not “disastrous” by any measure, especially when it comes to complainants alleging sexual offences.

I can only speak from my own experience in private practice:

1. The number of sexual assault allegations we get are second only to impaired driving,

2. The Crown’s office generally handle them as a category separate from other offences,

3. Complainants in sexual offences enjoy protections that other complainants do not, making it easier for the Crown to secure a conviction (though this is the result of federal actions),

4. The real issue: allegations of sexual assault-even where there are clear weaknesses in the case-rarely resolve without going to trial. The Crown doesn’t want to risk the blowback in the media that comes with resolving such a case.

You don’t have to look much further than the Supreme Court decision in R. v. Anthony-Cook, 2016 SCC 43, to understand the importance of resolving matters in advance of trials to our system.

Could things be better? Always. Has our provincial government failed handling allegation of sexual assault? No.

Address

Suite 6, 458 Queens Avenue
London, ON
N6B1X9

Telephone

+12266675767

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