Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer
Charged? We Fight For You.
From impaired driving to aggravated assault, Legal Solutions Law Firm defends a wide range of criminal charges across Toronto and the GTA. We map out a sound legal defence and remain committed to justice — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Toronto Criminal Defence
Toronto Criminal Defence: Personalized for Every Charge
Legal Solutions Law Firm will assist and navigate you through the complex criminal justice system, giving your case the personalized attention it deserves. Our job is to map out a sound legal defence and remain committed to justice — from your first call to the final resolution of your matter.
We understand the seriousness of criminal charges and take the time to answer all your questions in a clear and respectful manner. You are not just a file number to us. We treat every client with the urgency and compassion their situation demands.
Take control of your situation today. Contact Legal Solutions Law Firm for a free consultation — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with emergency appointments available.
Criminal matters do not happen on a schedule. We are available around the clock — nights, weekends, and holidays. Emergency consultations are always available.
Every case is unique. We review the evidence, assess your exposure, and build a defence strategy tailored specifically to the facts and circumstances of your matter.
Approximately 95% of our criminal matters resolve without trial through skilled negotiation with the Crown — often resulting in withdrawal, peace bond, or discharge.
No hourly billing. No charges every time you call or email. You know your total cost upfront, and we offer flexible payment plans to make representation accessible.
Criminal Charges We Defend
Types of Criminal Charges We Fight
We have the experience to defend the full spectrum of criminal charges in Ontario. If you do not see your charge listed, call us — we can help.
Our Approach
How We Defend Your Case
Call us any time — 24/7. We listen, explain your rights, and map out your best defence strategy at no cost.
If you are being held, we move immediately to secure your release. Losing a bail hearing means weeks in custody — do not face it alone.
We obtain all Crown disclosure, study the evidence against you, and identify every weakness in the prosecution's case.
We negotiate directly with the Crown to resolve your matter — targeting withdrawal, peace bond, or discharge in the vast majority of cases.
If the Crown won't deal, we bring a judge into the discussion to find the best possible resolution — often securing a favourable outcome without trial.
If fighting the charge is the right strategy, we prepare and execute a compelling defence at trial — cross-examining witnesses and advancing every available argument.
Plain Language Legal Guide
Criminal Law — What You Need to Know
You Have Been Arrested — Now What?
You feel helpless, scared, like your life is over. You are worried about the consequences, or you know you are innocent and did nothing wrong. These are all entirely normal feelings at this moment.
The most important thing you can do right now is say nothing. Do not speak to the police without first consulting a criminal lawyer. After your arrest, the police may release you at the scene with a ticket and court date, take you to the station and release you from there, or hold you for a bail hearing.
Bail Hearings — Act Immediately
If you are held and require a bail hearing, retain a lawyer immediately. If you lose your bail hearing, you could spend weeks or longer in custody waiting for your trial. A bail review after a failed hearing is significantly more expensive than having a lawyer at the initial hearing.
Once released — whether at the scene or from the station — get a lawyer right away. You will have a court date and a fingerprint date. This is the ideal time to retain counsel and get ahead of your case.
Reviewing the Crown's Evidence
At and sometimes before the first court date, we will obtain all the evidence the Crown intends to rely on. We study that evidence carefully to determine how strong the case against you truly is and to identify every weakness and opportunity for defence.
In certain cases — particularly those involving domestic partners, children, or specific offences — you cannot obtain all the evidence without a lawyer. In those matters, you also cannot question key witnesses at trial without legal counsel. This makes retaining a lawyer effectively mandatory.
Crown Pretrial & Negotiation
After reviewing the evidence — sometimes across several court dates which we attend on your behalf — we book a Crown Pretrial. This is a private meeting between your lawyer and the Crown to discuss the case and explore possible resolutions.
This is how approximately 95% of cases are resolved. We pride ourselves on our ability to negotiate with the Crown and reach deals that allow clients to walk away without jail time and without a criminal record.
If the Crown will not offer a fair deal, we can book a Judicial Pretrial — a meeting with a judge to assess what a particular judge would impose as a sentence, which can unlock resolutions the Crown alone would not agree to.
What Most Lawyers Won't Tell You
The honest truth: most people charged with a criminal offence are guilty, and the Crown can prove it. Judges generally believe the police. Going to trial is often not the best option — it is more expensive, and losing at trial leads to a worse penalty.
The goal of experienced criminal defence is not always to win at trial. It is to get the best possible outcome given the evidence. In many cases, that means negotiating a result where a guilty client walks away without jail and without a criminal record.
Why Avoiding a Criminal Record Matters
A criminal record can have serious, long-lasting consequences beyond any court-imposed penalty:
- Employment: Many employers conduct background checks. Certain fields are closed to those with a record.
- Travel: The United States may deny entry — or even overflight — to individuals with a criminal record.
- Immigration: For non-citizens, a criminal record can trigger immigration consequences including deportation.
The right legal strategy can protect you from all of these consequences — even when the evidence against you is strong.
Where Your Case Is Heard
Toronto Criminal Courts
Ontario Court of Justice — Toronto
10 Armoury Street, Toronto, ON M7A 0B9Most Toronto criminal charges are prosecuted at the Ontario Court of Justice at 10 Armoury Street — the province's largest courthouse, which in 2023 brought six downtown Toronto criminal courts (including the former Old City Hall and College Park courts) under one roof, just north of City Hall. More serious indictable matters and jury trials are heard at the Superior Court of Justice, 361 University Avenue. We appear at both courts regularly.
Understanding Your Options
Possible Case Outcomes — Best to Worst
Every criminal case can result in a range of outcomes. Our goal is always to achieve the best possible result — and in the vast majority of cases, that means no jail and no permanent criminal record.
Charged With a Criminal Offence? Call Now.
The sooner you retain a lawyer, the better your outcome. Legal Solutions Law Firm is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your first consultation is always free.
Why Legal Solutions
Experience, Honesty & Results
Ryan Manilla has been defending criminal charges at the Ontario Bar for over 15 years. He brings straight talk, a proven track record, and a genuine commitment to every client's outcome — treating each file with the individual attention it deserves.
Whether you are guilty or not guilty, the right criminal defence lawyer can often make the difference between a permanent record and walking away clean. Legal Solutions has done exactly that for hundreds of Ontario clients.
Client Testimonials
What Our Clients Say
I was facing an impaired driving charge and terrified about my licence and my job. Ryan was calm, reassuring, and completely on top of every detail. He negotiated a result I never thought was possible — no criminal record, no suspension. I am incredibly grateful for everything he did.
I was falsely accused of assault and had no idea what to do. Ryan obtained all the evidence, identified the weaknesses in the Crown's case, and the charge was ultimately withdrawn. His knowledge of the system is exceptional. He treated me with respect throughout what was the most stressful period of my life.
I was facing serious drug charges and thought my life was over. Ryan explained everything in plain language, negotiated with the Crown, and secured an absolute discharge. I have no criminal record and got my life back. I cannot say enough about how much Legal Solutions helped me.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Hiring a Criminal Lawyer in Toronto — What You Should Actually Know
Toronto is one of the busiest criminal court jurisdictions in Canada. Old City Hall at 60 Queen Street West handles the bulk of summary conviction matters, while more serious indictable offences move through 361 University Avenue and, in some cases, Superior Court. The volume of cases flowing through these courthouses every day is staggering — which is exactly why having a lawyer who knows the players, the process, and the Crown prosecutors handling your file can make a real difference to your outcome.
What most people charged with a criminal offence in Ontario do not realize is that the vast majority of cases never actually go to trial. They resolve at the Crown pretrial stage — a private meeting between your lawyer and the prosecutor where the facts are laid out, the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence are discussed, and a negotiated result is reached. In Toronto, this process is well-established, and experienced defence counsel who have worked the local courthouses know how to navigate it effectively. That institutional knowledge is not something you pick up from a Google search.
Toronto's Diversity Creates Unique Criminal Law Consequences
Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and a significant portion of its residents are permanent residents or are here on temporary status. For those individuals, a criminal charge carries stakes well beyond the courtroom. A conviction — even a minor one — can trigger inadmissibility findings under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, interrupt a citizenship application, or in serious cases lead to a removal order. The criminal defence strategy for a non-citizen client looks meaningfully different from the strategy for a Canadian-born client, and failing to account for that distinction can cause irreparable harm. At Legal Solutions, we factor immigration consequences into every step of the defence.
The Record Problem Nobody Talks About
Ontario employers — especially in finance, healthcare, education, and the trades — conduct CPIC background checks as standard practice. A criminal record that might feel like a minor footnote on the day of sentencing can quietly close doors for years afterward. The same applies at the border: U.S. Customs and Border Protection has access to Canadian criminal records, and a conviction for something as common as a DUI can result in being turned away at the airport or at a land crossing. These are not hypothetical risks. They happen to real people every week. The goal at Legal Solutions is never just to resolve the charge — it is to resolve it in a way that protects your future.
If you or someone you know has been charged with a criminal offence in Toronto or anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area, call Legal Solutions Law Firm at 416-274-2222. The consultation is free, there is no obligation, and we are available around the clock.
Defending Clients Across Toronto and the GTA
From My Experience: What No One Tells You About Facing Criminal Charges
The moment most people walk into my office after being charged, the first thing they say isn't "I'm innocent" — it's "I don't know what's going to happen to me." That uncertainty is the hardest part. The criminal justice system is not designed to be understood by the people moving through it, and the stakes — your freedom, your record, your career, your ability to travel — couldn't be higher.
Over the years I've noticed a pattern. The clients who do best are almost never the ones with the weakest evidence against them. They're the ones who called me first, before they talked to anyone else. The single most damaging thing I've seen clients do — over and over — is speak to the police when they didn't have to. People think cooperation will help them. In my experience, it almost never does. A Crown attorney told me once, half-jokingly, that clients who speak are doing their job for them. He wasn't wrong.
There's also a misconception about what a criminal defence lawyer actually does. Most people think we go to trial and give a dramatic courtroom speech. In reality, approximately 95% of my matters resolve without ever going to trial. What I actually do, most of the time, is read the Crown's evidence carefully, find every weakness in it, and sit down with the prosecutor to negotiate a result that keeps my client out of jail and off the permanent record. That's it. Less dramatic than television, and far more effective.
The Clients Who Surprised Me Most
Some of my best outcomes have come in cases where the evidence looked overwhelming at first glance. Impaired driving is worth singling out because it's technically complex in a way most people don't appreciate. The breathalyzer system, the officer's conduct at the roadside, the timing of the demand — there are a dozen places a DUI charge can fall apart that have nothing to do with whether the person had too much to drink. I've had cases where the evidence was strong but a procedural step wasn't followed correctly, and the charge simply couldn't stand.
I've also had clients turn down a fair negotiated deal because they were convinced they'd win at trial — and they ended up with a criminal record when they didn't have to. Knowing which situation you're in requires honest advice from someone who has seen enough cases to tell the difference. That's what I try to give every client from day one.
One last thing I tell people: the goal isn't always to fight. Sometimes the best result — the one that protects your job, your family, your record, your ability to travel — comes from a negotiated resolution. That's not giving up. That's knowing how the system works and using it in your favour. If you've been charged with anything, call me before you say another word to anyone: 416-274-2222.
Free Resources
Tools & Guides
Wondering how bail works, or when you might be eligible for a record suspension? These free tools and guides can help:
Speak With a Criminal Defence Lawyer Today
Facing a criminal charge? Contact Legal Solutions Law Firm for a free, confidential consultation. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including emergency appointments.