Criminal Offences
We understand that it can be a daunting experience for some to be charged with a criminal offence. We are here to guide you through the process, and make it as stress free as possible.
Once Police believe they have sufficient evidence to charge you with an offence, the police will then decide how exactly to charge you. They could either arrest you, and hold you in custody until your court date, they could issue you with a Notice to appear or a complaint and summons. A Notice to appear is essentially a summons to attend a particular court, on a particular date, which will identify what you have been charged with.
You must attend Court on the first court date – failure to do so may mean you are charged with a failing to appear, which is a further criminal offence and a warrant may be issued for your arrest. All criminal offences start off in the Magistrates Court, even if they may end up being dealt with in the higher courts (the District or Supreme Court).
At your first court date you will have an opportunity to read the QP9’s, a document which includes the circumstances surrounding the offence that the Magistrate would hear if you were to plead guilty at that stage. It will also include your criminal history.
We strongly suggest that prior to your first court date, you get in touch with our office to obtain legal advice. We will be able to confidently advise you of likely penalty if you were to plead guilty, and how to best present your case to the Court. It may be that you strongly disagree with the allegations made against you, and we would then negotiate your matter with Police prosecutions and may take your matter to trial. We strongly advocate for the best outcomes for all of our clients and have had success across a range of charges – as indicated on our client testimonial page. We are also able to lodge your legal aid application for you, which may expedite you obtaining legal aid. If you have been charged with a criminal offence in Queensland, we look forward to assisting you in your case.
Costs involved
Contact our criminal law team to help you through this process.