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PETERBOROUGH CRIMINAL LAWYERS

Meeting Place
263 Charlotte Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 2V3

Phone / Email

Local Phone: 705-742-0440

Toll Free 24/7: 1-800-668-1657

Email: freeconsult@callalawyer.ca

Office Hours

Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM by appointment
After Hours & Weekend: by appointment

Google Rating
4.9
Based on 457 reviews
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Criminal Lawyers in Peterborough

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We offer free 30-minute initial consultations to individuals in Peterborough. Our criminal defence lawyers are available to review your case with you.

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Some of the Criminal Allegations We Defend Against in Peterborough

Impaired Driving Charges
December 10, 2020

Drinking and Driving

Impaired driving refers to the action of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. As a result, the driver’s ability to control the vehicle safely is reduced. Under the criminal code, fines and imprisonment are the potential outcomes once convicted.
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domestic assault
May 25, 2021

Domestic Assaults

A ‘domestic assault’ refers to an assault that occurs during a domestic relationship, such as between married partners, common-law partners, dating couples, and parents and children. They are treated more severely than other assault offences.
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assaults
May 25, 2021

Other Assaults & Threats

In general terms, an ‘assault’ is the use of force or attempted use of force on another person. These offences could include general assault, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and criminal harassment.
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sex assault
May 25, 2021

Sex Assaults

A ‘sexual assault’ refers to an assault that involves some nature of sexual touching, or a sexual overtone. These can range from merely touching a body part up to and including something such as rape.
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internet crimes
May 25, 2021

Internet Crimes

In today’s day and age, the Internet and social media have opened up new pathways for new types of offences. These can be widely varied: many common charges include child pornography, revenge porn, and libel/defamation.
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bail
February 17, 2013

Bail Hearings

A bail hearing will determine whether an accused will be released from custody for the period leading up to the actual trial. Here is an overview of the hearing procedure and what you can expect during the process.
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driving offences
August 15, 2012

Dangerous Driving and Traffic Charges

Some Highway Traffic Act Offences (HTA) carry very serious consequences. Here are some of the ones that we deal with most frequently.
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driving under suspension
May 16, 2012

Driving With a Suspended Licence

If your license had been suspended and you were caught still operating a vehicle, there may be consequences under the Highway Traffic Act.
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Drug Charges in Ontario
August 17, 2012

Drug Charges

Drug charges are laid for ‘possession’ and/or ‘trafficking’. Each comes with its own set of penalties as per the Criminal Code of Canada. Click to learn more about the specific Code provisions and what they entail.
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theft charges ontario
August 17, 2012

Theft Charges

Theft occurs where anyone fraudulently and without colour of right, either takes or converts anything with the intent to deprive the owner or the person who has a special interest in it.
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mischief charges in ontario
August 17, 2012

Mischief Charges

Mischief occurs when someone wilfully destroys or damages property, or if they render it dangerous, inoperative or ineffective. It can also be considered mischief if one’s actions obstructs, interrupts or interferes with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property.
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young offenders
August 17, 2012

Young Offenders

Individuals under the age of majority who have been charged will be treated under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Youth matters are generally treated with a greater focus on rehabilitation rather than deterrence, and more on reparation than on retribution.
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PETERBOROUGH OFFICE

Aitken Robertson Criminal Law Office in Peterborough

Located east of the Otonabee River, the Peterborough location of Aitken Robertson is the home office of founding lawyer Richard Aitken and hosts a large number of Aitken Robertson employees.

Lawyer Dan Lemaire handles the majority of our clients in Peterborough. After graduating from Queen’s University with his J.D. and several awards, Dan returned to his hometown of Peterborough and articled under Richard Aitken. He continues to work with his mentor in his hometown as a fully licensed lawyer. Dan is directly assisted by paralegal and law clerk Carol Betz. Carol also handles some Highway Traffic Act charges and Provincial Offences for Peterborough clients.

Administrative, accounting assistant and receptionist Shan Burns is often the first point of contact for Peterborough clients. She handles incoming calls and takes care of the banking in addition to managing much of the day-to-day traffic of the office, Shan handles the firm’s bills, accounts, trial and reporting letters and also is the administrative assistant to lawyer Phil Stiles. Administrative assistant and content editor Kim Playford manages the firm’s data and records of written content. With nearly twenty years in the publishing industry, Kim is a valued editor with an eye for detail. Accounts receivable clerk Lorie Palombo has been a Peterborough local for over thirty years. She handles bookkeeping and many aspects of the firm’s finances.

While most of your experiences with Aitken Robertson may be with Dan or Carol, all Aitken Robertson clients can rest easy knowing there is a large team with a variety of skills working behind the scenes. On top of the Peterborough staff, our lawyers and paralegals have the support of many of our other legal professionals across the province.

We are proud to provide the good people of Peterborough with quality and affordable legal services. We feel strongly that no one should be barred from hiring experienced lawyers for financial reasons, and so we offer a flat fee billing system. We tell you from the very beginning what the cost will be, so you do not have to worry about “billable hours” adding up or unexpected expenses such as travel time being tacked on. If a lump sum payment would be difficult to make, we also offer customized interest-free payment plans, allowing you to fund your legal service with small payments over a period rather than all at once.

To begin working with our team you can meet with us at 263 Charlotte St for a free 30-minute consultation. Alternatively, we can meet by way of telephone or virtually by Zoom or Google Meet. We will listen to your side of the story and let you know, based on the facts of the case, what outcomes, and costs you can expect. If you are satisfied with what we tell you then you can retain us as your lawyers, and we can begin fighting the charges on your behalf as quickly as possible.

Our Peterborough Criminal Law Team

Richard Aitken criminal lawyer

Richard Aitken

Managing Lawyer
Jami Sanftleben - Paralegal

Jami Sanftleben

Licensed Paralegal
carol betz - paralegal

Carol Betz

Licensed Paralegal
Shan Burns

Shan Burns

Accounts / Administrative Assistant / Assistant to Phil Stiles
Kim Playford

Kim Playford

Administrative Assistant / Editor

Frequently Asked Questions

Technically yes. Anyone can also fix their car, but if you have a major problem with your car it is usually safer and more effective to hire a mechanic. Criminal defence lawyers have spent their careers learning the ins and outs of court proceedings, offences, available defences, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and advocacy. Our team has decades of collective experience defending clients against a full range of charges from driving under the influence of aggravated assault and beyond. If you want to know what we can do for you, come see us for a free 30-minute consultation and we can go over your case entirely free of charge.

It depends on what you are going to court for. Many of your court dates will be to handle more administrative tasks, like adjourning while we await disclosure from the Crown or requesting a modification to a bail condition, that sort of thing. For these things, you may not even need to be in court once you have retained a lawyer. We can go on your behalf and act as an agent, leaving you free from interruptions to your personal and professional lives. If you need to be in court we will let you know in advance. In that case a few things you should keep in mind:

  1. Turn your cellphone off before you go into the courtroom.
  2. Sit quietly in the provided seating, try not to stand unless you are leaving, or the court calls on you to speak.
  3. Try to stay quiet unless the court calls on you to speak.
  4. Let your lawyer do most of the talking. The court might ask you simple yes or no questions, or to state your name, but detailed answers should come from us.

Don’t be so fast to assume the police have an easy win in your case. Often they make mistakes following procedure when they gather evidence, and if we can show that those mistakes violated police guidelines or the Charter the evidence can be deemed inadmissible. This could completely ruin the Crown’s case and leave them little choice but to withdraw the charges. For example, if the police waited too long after arresting you to give you a chance to retain a lawyer, the evidence taken after the moment of arrest can be found inadmissible. You have a Charter protected right to retain a lawyer, and if the court finds they violated this right even a full signed confession could be deemed unusable as evidence. These are the sorts of things we look for so talk with us before you make a decision.

Aitken Robertson firmly believes that all those facing criminal charges deserve quality legal services and should not be impeded by finances. We offer three things designed to make our services easier to pay for:

Free 30-Minute Consultations: These consultations allow you to discuss the details of your case with a member of our team free of charge. We’ll let you know what kinds of outcomes you might expect if your goals in the case are realistic, and what the cost would be. We want you to know all the details before you make this major decision.

Block Rate Billing: Many law firms still rely on the “billable hour”. That means as lawyers, paralegals, clerks, and law students work on your case, they track their time spent in detail so that their client can be billed as much as possible. This means you wouldn’t know the cost of your defence until after the case had concluded and the hours and rates calculated. Aitken Robertson believes you should know from the beginning what the cost will be, so we hear the details of your case and provide you with a total. This typically only changes if you decide later on that you’d rather go to trial, and so the amount of work we need to put in increases. We can provide you with his figure shortly after our free consultation.

Custom Interest-Free Payment Plans: Most people do not pay for expensive services or products like cars or university tuition in a lump sum payment. Having that amount of money upfront in at once can be difficult. Instead, you make small payments over a period, paying off that item or service. We offer the same for our legal services and without interest. Our team will consider your financial situation and create a custom plan that works for you. If you would prefer to make bi-weekly payments over a few months to fit with your paycheque schedule then we will gladly set that up for you.

You can have the Interlock Ignition device installed at:

LifeSafer Ignition Interlock
675 The Queensway
Peterborough, ON
Telephone: 1-888-769-6080

Apple Auto Glass
494 The Parkway, Unit 1
Peterborough, ON
Telephone: 705-745-7772

There is some parking at 70 Simcoe St. It is metered parking and only accepts cash.

Peterborough Area Criminal Law Resources

Superior Court of Justice, Peterborough

470 Water St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 3M3
Telephone: 705-876-3815

Ontario Court of Justice, Peterborough

70 Simcoe St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 7G9
Telephone: 705-876-3846

Criminal Youth Court, Peterborough

70 Simcoe St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 7G9
Telephone: 705-876-3846

Traffic Court, Peterborough

99 Simcoe St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 2H3
Telephone: 705-742-7777

Crown Attorney’s Office, Peterborough

470 Water St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 3M3
Telephone: 705-755-5360

Accessibility Coordinator, Peterborough Courthouse

70 Simcoe St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 7G9
Telephone: 705-876-3846 Extension: 726

Legal Aid Ontario, Peterborough

364 Water St
Peterborough, ON
K9H 3L6
Telephone: 705-743-5430

Superior Court of Justice, Cobourg

For criminal offences
860 William St
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3A9
Telephone: 905-372-3751

Ontario Court of Justice, Cobourg

For criminal, provincial, and youth offences
860 William St
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3A9
Telephone: 905-372-3751

Crown Attorney’s Office, Cobourg

860 William St
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3A9
Telephone: 905-372-8784

Accessibility Coordinator, Cobourg Courthouse

860 William St
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3A9
Telephone: 905-372-3751

Legal Aid Ontario, Cobourg

860 William St
Cobourg, ON
K9A 3A9
Telephone: 905-377-9159

Superior Court of Justice, Lindsay

For criminal offences
440 Kent St West
Lindsay, ON
K9V 6KV
Telephone: 705-324-1400

Ontario Court of Justice, Lindsay

For criminal, provincial and youth offences
440 Kent St West
Lindsay, ON
K9V 6KV
Telephone: 705-324-1400

Crown Attorney’s Office, Lindsay

440 Kent St West
Lindsay, ON
K9V 6KV
Telephone: 705-324-1420

Accessibility Coordinator, Lindsay Courthouse

440 Kent St West
Lindsay, ON
K9V 6KV
Telephone: 705-324-1400 Extension: 207

Ontario Victim Services

Telephone: 705-755-5150

Recent Peterborough Cases & Success Stories

CASE STUDY: Impaired Driving Charges

Our client, Mr. T, was faced with allegations of impaired driving. He had provided a breath sample that was well over the legal limit. The consequences of an impaired driving conviction in his case would be severe, as he needed to be able to drive for his job.

CASE STUDY: Refusing a breath sample in Cobourg

Because of the client’s legal aspirations, it was important to him that the situation be resolved without appearing on his criminal record.

CASE STUDY: Assault charges in Bancroft

The goal was to get both accused acquitted of the charges of assault causing bodily harm. To do this, our lawyers aimed to establish that the accused had acted in self-defence against the actions of the complainant.

CASE STUDY: Theft, Fraud Charges in Cobourg

Given her lack of previous criminal record, the client’s goal was to avoid a criminal record and jail time, while managing the cost of the process.

CASE STUDY: Uttering Forged Documents, Fraud under $5,000, and Breach of Trust

The client indicated his intention not to proceed to a trial at the initial consultation, which left Mr. Aitken with relatively less maneuverability. Therefore, our goal was to resolve the case early and get the best resolution offer for Mr. B.

CASE STUDY: Withdrawn for Peace Bond – Mischief Under $5,000

Mr. H had no criminal record at the time the incident occurred. We did not want to see Mr. H end up with a criminal record when he was acting out of confusion and intoxication, and so we would seek to have the Crown withdraw the charges in favour of non-criminal diversions.

CASE STUDY: Absolute Discharge – Public Mischief

Ms. W was charged with public mischief for falsely phoning the police. She contacted Aitken Robertson, and Philip Stiles set her at ease and began building her defence.

CASE STUDY: Charges Withdrawn for Peace Bond – Uttering Threats

When two people in a long-term relationship have a heated fight, emotions often run high and both sides can feel that the other side wronged them in some way. In 2018 Mr. C and his partner got into one such argument.

CASE STUDY: Plead Down to Non-Criminal Charge – Impaired Driving, Over 80, & Failure to Report

Ms. D made it clear to us during our initial meetings that her greatest concern was avoiding the loss of her licence. While our greater goal was to help Ms. D avoid criminal sanctions at all, we aligned our focus on obtaining an outcome that did not result in the loss of Ms. D’s licence.

CASE STUDY: Charges Withdrawn for Peace Bond – Assault

Phil’s strategy was to propose this agreement to the Crown. Mr. F participating in some form of counselling or education in exchange for a withdrawal and peace bond.

CASE STUDY: Withdrawal for Peace Bond – Domestic Assault and Failure to Comply with Conditions

We began supporting Mr. M not after his initial charge of assault, but after his failure to comply charge. He had been charged with assault in the domestic context after a small argument with his girlfriend, during which she alleged he shoved her. He was released on a promise to appear before the court, and one of the conditions of the release was to avoid contact with the complainant.