CRIMINAL DEFENCE FOR SUMMERLAND, BC
Criminal Lawyer in Summerland
Charged in Summerland? Your case will be heard at Penticton Law Courts, and Julian Van Der Walle is the criminal lawyer Summerland residents call to defend it. Julian has practised only criminal law since 2010 and has run more than 100 trials in BC and Alberta.
Charged in Summerland?
Penticton Law Courts is where Summerland criminal cases are generally heard.
7 days to apply for a review if police gave you an IRP.
Free first consultation with Julian, by phone or video, answered 24/7.
Criminal defence only
Julian Van Der Walle has practised nothing else since 2010.
100+ trials
Run by Julian in BC and Alberta courtrooms.
Phone or video consults
Summerland clients get advice without driving into town.
Answered 24/7
A Summerland charge is a Penticton court case
Summerland doesn’t have its own criminal courthouse. Charges laid by Summerland RCMP, or by BC Highway Patrol on the stretch of Highway 97 through town, are generally sent to Penticton Law Courts on Main Street. That’s where your first appearance, any bail hearing and a trial would usually take place.
Julian Van Der Walle defends criminal charges in that courthouse. As a criminal lawyer Summerland clients can reach by phone or video, he reviews your paperwork, explains your conditions and court date, and starts asking Crown for disclosure from the first week.
Your court
Penticton Law Courts, 100 Main Street. Summerland criminal cases, from first appearance to trial, are generally heard here.
Your conditions
Many Summerland clients are released on an undertaking with conditions like no contact or no alcohol. Julian checks they are workable and applies to change the ones that aren’t.
Charges Julian defends for Summerland clients
Most Summerland files fall into a handful of charges. Each one has its own defences, and each one is worth testing before you accept a plea.
Impaired driving
Impaired, over 80 and refusal charges, plus the roadside prohibitions that often come with them.
Assault charges
Common assault, assault causing bodily harm and domestic assault, where no contact conditions start the day of the arrest.
Drug charges
Possession and trafficking charges, where the search is usually the first thing Julian looks at.
Other criminal charges
Theft, mischief, uttering threats, breaches and more, from a first charge to a serious one.
The first week after a Summerland charge
7 days
to file an IRP review if you got a roadside prohibition
No plea
at your first appearance before disclosure is reviewed
No statement
to police until you have spoken to a lawyer
Free
first consultation with Julian Van Der Walle
Most of what decides a case happens early, so call before your first court date in Penticton.
Where Summerland cases start
A lot of Summerland files begin on Highway 97, which runs straight through town and carries most of the traffic between Penticton and Kelowna. Roadside checks along that stretch lead to impaired driving charges and prohibitions every summer. Others start with a call to Summerland RCMP from a home, a winery or a downtown business.
Wherever it started, Julian looks first at what police did and why. Before your court date, read about your rights at a roadblock and whether you need a criminal lawyer.
The reason police stopped or arrested you
Was there a lawful basis, and is it backed by the officer’s notes?
Any search of you, your car or your home
Did police have a warrant, grounds or your consent?
Your right to a lawyer
Were you told about it under section 10(b), and given a real chance to use it?
What the Crown can actually prove
Is there evidence for every part of the charge, or only part of it?
How your Summerland case moves with Julian
01
Free consultation
Call or book a video chat. Julian reviews the charge, your conditions and your Penticton court date.
02
Deadlines and disclosure
Julian files anything that is time limited and requests full disclosure from Crown.
03
Testing the evidence
Julian examines the stop, any search, the statements and your right to counsel.
04
Resolution or trial
Some cases end in a withdrawal or a lesser outcome. Others Julian takes to trial in Penticton.
Questions from Summerland clients
Julian Van Der Walle answers what people charged in Summerland ask most.
Where will my Summerland criminal case be heard?
Summerland criminal matters are generally heard at Penticton Law Courts on Main Street. Your appearance notice or undertaking lists the exact date, time and courthouse, so check it as soon as you get it.
Do I have to go to court in person for my first appearance?
Not always. In many cases a lawyer can appear for you or arrange for you to attend remotely. Julian can tell you what applies to your file and handle the first appearance so you don’t lose a day of work.
Can I talk to a lawyer without driving to Penticton?
Yes. Julian offers free first consultations by phone or video, and most of the early work on a Summerland file can be done without an office visit.
Should I give Summerland RCMP a statement?
Not before you get legal advice. You have the right to stay silent and the right to speak to a lawyer. If police ask you to come in for an interview, call a criminal lawyer first.
Need a criminal lawyer in Summerland?
Call Julian Van Der Walle before your first court date in Penticton. The consultation is free and confidential, and you can also see how Julian works as a criminal lawyer in Penticton.
REQUEST A FREE CONSULTATION
Call 1.866.706.8857
Or fill out the form below to receive a free and confidential initial consultation.