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24/7 Emergency Phone - Bail Hearings, Immigration Deportation, Police Interview Requests and Surrender Demands - Call Now!
(416) 535-6329

Criminal Defence Litigation

At Costa Law Firm – We strive to use our skills and experience to secure ideal results in the field of criminal defence litigation. Our criminal lawyers have built a reputation for their skill and determination in defending our clients.

These crimes are known as strict liability offences. Other crimes require the proof of mens rea – the intent to commit the act. Further, criminal cases may be prosecuted in different way. Some are prosecuted summarily, others by indictment. There are also offences known as dual or hybrid offences, which could be prosecuted either summarily or by indictment. With so many variables and things to consider in a trial, it is important to obtain the best legal counsel possible. At Costa Law we have experienced and distinguished criminal lawyers in Toronto who create thoughtful, and effective approaches to help our clients achieve desired results.

Criminal Defence Litigation

At Costa Law Firm – A criminal law firm in Toronto,  we strive to use our skills and experience to secure ideal results in the field of criminal defence litigation. Our criminal lawyers have built a reputation for their skill and determination in defending our clients.

Each member of our team draws from their unique experiences and talents to help our clients achieve a positive outcome. Our creative approach and dedication to our clients has allowed our success to grow significantly throughout the years.

Criminal Lawyers with Experience

Our criminal law team has enjoyed success at many levels of the court system including the Ontario Court of Justice, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Ontario Court of Appeals. Our team has successfully argued Charter motions, Interlocutory motions, and complex issues such as search and seizures, and warrants at some of the highest courts in the country. Over the years our lawyers have helped shape Charter law and its interpretation. We understand the complexities of criminal litigation, and always stay up to date with the current laws and procedures in order to deliver excellent results.

Criminal Litigation

Criminal law is the body of law that helps regulate social conduct. It addresses the fit punishment for threatening and harmful behaviour, which endangers the health, safety and moral welfare of others. The two main elements of this body of law involve the actus reus – or the prohibited act, and the mens rea – or the guilty mind, also referred to as the intent to do a prohibited act. Some crimes, such as modern regulatory offences, require no more than a prohibited act.

These crimes are known as strict liability offences. Other crimes require the proof of mens rea – the intent to commit the act. Further, criminal cases may be prosecuted in different way. Some are prosecuted summarily, others by indictment. There are also offences known as dual or hybrid offences, which could be prosecuted either summarily or by indictment. With so many variables and things to consider in a trial, it is important to obtain the best legal counsel possible. At Costa Law we have experienced and distinguished criminal lawyers in Toronto who create thoughtful, and effective approaches to help our clients achieve desired results.

Criminal Lawyers with Experience

Our criminal law team has enjoyed success at many levels of the court system including the Ontario Court of Justice, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Ontario Court of Appeals. Our team has successfully argued Charter motions, Interlocutory motions, and complex issues such as search and seizures, and warrants at some of the highest courts in the country. Over the years our lawyers have helped shape Charter law and its interpretation. We understand the complexities of criminal litigation, and always stay up to date with the current laws and procedures in order to deliver excellent results.

Criminal Litigation

Criminal law is the body of law that helps regulate social conduct. It addresses the fit punishment for threatening and harmful behaviour, which endangers the health, safety and moral welfare of others. The two main elements of this body of law involve the actus reus – or the prohibited act, and the mens rea – or the guilty mind, also referred to as the intent to do a prohibited act. Some crimes, such as modern regulatory offences, require no more than a prohibited act.

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Criminal Charges

Murder & Robbery

Murder and Robbery charges will affect many areas of your life such as the future of your relationship with your partner; your living arrangements; employment prospects; child access and support; personal assets; and commitment to counselling upon resolution. Given the seriousness of these issues and their delicate nature, it is important to address them effectively as soon as possible through sound legal advice and expertise.

Assaults

Assault charges can take many forms with allegations ranging from the assault of children to friends or even strangers. The circumstances of the offence also vary. The offence could involve harassment, an instance of uttering death threats, or an instance where the other party is physically hurt or maimed. Assaults may also involve weapons or aggravation. Regardless of the type of assault, it can have a serious impact on the accused and must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Drug Offences

The most serious drug offences include: possession for the purpose of trafficking; importing and exporting; possession for the purpose of exporting drugs listed in Schedule I (i.e. heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine) and in Schedule II (i.e. marijuana); and production. If charged with any of these offences, it is important that you consult with an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Our lawyers have many years of experience in litigating drug offenses, and are familiar with the most recent laws, including the newly introduced Safe Streets and Communities Act which requires mandatory minimum penalties in drug offenses when aggravating factors are present.

Murder & Robbery

Murder and Robbery charges will affect many areas of your life such as the future of your relationship with your partner; your living arrangements; employment prospects; child access and support; personal assets; and commitment to counselling upon resolution. Given the seriousness of these issues and their delicate nature, it is important to address them effectively as soon as possible through sound legal advice and expertise.

Assaults

Assault charges can take many forms with allegations ranging from the assault of children to friends or even strangers. The circumstances of the offence also vary. The offence could involve harassment, an instance of uttering death threats, or an instance where the other party is physically hurt or maimed. Assaults may also involve weapons or aggravation. Regardless of the type of assault, it can have a serious impact on the accused and must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Drug Offences

The most serious drug offences include: possession for the purpose of trafficking; importing and exporting; possession for the purpose of exporting drugs listed in Schedule I (i.e. heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine) and in Schedule II (i.e. marijuana); and production.

If charged with any of these offences, it is important that you consult with an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Our lawyers have many years of experience in litigating drug offenses, and are familiar with the most recent laws, including the newly introduced Safe Streets and Communities Act which requires mandatory minimum penalties in drug offenses when aggravating factors are present.

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Young Offender Matters

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Mischiefs

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Provincial Offences (eg. fire code violations, liquor-related violations)

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More specific charges (e.g. wire-tapping and conspiracy)

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Young Offender Matters

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Mischiefs

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Provincial Offences (eg. fire code violations, liquor-related violations)

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More specific charges (e.g. wire-tapping and conspiracy)

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    Testimonials

    What our clients are saying.

    If I could give David Costa more than 5 stars I would. The moment that I called him in 2015, I knew right away that he was the right person to represent my son. He gave my son a list of things to do to help his case. David replied to every email that I sent to him and answered all my questions no matter how many times I asked the same questions. He even talked to my son when he thought my son was not doing enough to get the best possible outcome. We are pleased with the outcome of the case. Excellent lawyer! Highly recommended! Definitely Toronto’s Top Lawyer!
    Rusty Moore
    Rusty Moore
    15:55 16 Jan 19
    David Costa was my brother’s defense lawyer on a first degree murder charge. I called the lawyer the moment my brother was arrested. There was absolutely no physical evidence against my brother. There were alibi witnesses and coroner evidence that he could not have killed the victim. And Mr. Costa did everything we asked him to do as our lawyer. He called the alibi witnesses, he made sure all evidences are preserved, he hired a PI and did an investigation of his own. He did everything he could to save my brother from jail. Our whole family is grateful to David Costa for his knowledge, experience, support and strong motivation. David is a very good man.
    Jeffrey Wen
    Jeffrey Wen
    02:34 27 Nov 18
    The charges I had were dismissed, however along the way I spoke to a couple lawyers. I stuck with David because I could tell he had a level of knowledge others didn’t. He also was always very quick to get back to me. If I ever need a lawyer in the future it will be David for sure and I also recommend him to anyone needing legal assistance.
    James Obryant
    James Obryant
    17:02 15 Jan 19
    The best adoption lawyer in Toronto! David Costa walked us through everything, and was with us every second on the big day! We did not have many face to face meetings, as he communicates very well via email. This is definitely a lawyer who takes his time to do it correctly. We honestly can’t thank him enough!
    Ruth Bowen
    Ruth Bowen
    02:34 13 Jan 19
    Mr. Costa is a great lawyer. He is a professional who always answered my calls/emails promptly and kept me informed on the latest information regarding my case. I am happy with the outcome and I recommend him to anyone who needs a defense lawyer.
    Frank Elliott
    Frank Elliott
    06:28 13 Jan 19
    From my experience, as a client and referring clients to Costa Law Firm keeps satisfying me and referred family, friends, and business contacts. They are easy to reach, easy to talk to, and make what can be a complex legal system very manageable .
    Benji Teixeira
    Benji Teixeira
    17:41 09 Apr 19
    Excellent lawyer with great work ethics, professionalism, knowledge and understanding. I hired him to represent me for traffic violation. He explained me everything about the case and expected outcomes. He studied my case in detail and in the end got the case dismissed. Highly recommended.
    Willie Sweeney
    Willie Sweeney
    16:47 05 Jan 19
    My family and I are grateful for the positive experience we had with Costa Law firm. Kowlasar Misir, our Lawyer was extremely honest, thorough and trusting through out the entire process of our family case. We had the pleasure of meeting with Kowlasar for a second time recently and again the help and understanding surpassed my expectations.
    Tania E
    Tania E
    15:14 28 Aug 19
    Mr. Costa was a great help with my custody case. He walked me through the process step-by-step and gave me some useful tips. I am relieved now that I got a full custody of my daughter. Back than I was quite shaken by the circumstances and his confidence really was just what I needed.
    Jeanne Axy
    Jeanne Axy
    03:25 15 Sep 19
    Back in 2017, my nephew was accused of a fraud over $5000, he was only 19 and my family felt horrible for him. Costa Law did everything to defend him and was able to help him. We are very grateful to David and his team and strongly recommend them.
    Katie Quirk
    Katie Quirk
    12:12 17 Sep 19
    David was handling my DUI case and I could not be more grateful. I gave him a call right after I got arrested, he calmed me down and gave me an action plan. I don’t know how things would turn out if I would go with another lawyer. This guy is worth every penny spent on his services.
    Clyde Wiley
    Clyde Wiley
    09:05 19 Sep 19
    Costa Law was incredible experience from day one. Very intelligent, compassionate and accessible team, I felt like they actually cared about my case.  I strongly recommend them for criminal defence cases (speaking from personal experience).
    Mary Schmitt
    Mary Schmitt
    04:30 26 Sep 19
    Back in 2009 I was a troublesome young man and managed to get a criminal record. Time have passed and I changed, but my record remained as a reminder of my past, reminder that made my life more difficult than needed.  I was referred to David Costa by one of my friends who also had a similar experience. He helped me to get a pardon and today my record is clean. I feel like that weight is finally off my shoulders.
    William Palmisano
    William Palmisano
    03:11 27 Sep 19
    Thanks to these guys I was able to close the deal on my dream house! I can’t stop braging about Costa Law, they are an amazing team and deserve all the credit.
    Freddy Bishop
    Freddy Bishop
    02:46 09 Oct 19
    My son was arrested for possession of Schedule 1 drug back in January. I was completely mortified. David did an amazing job minimizing penalties, he was there for our family throughout the whole process. I strongly recommend Costa Law to anyone who needs help to deal with criminal charges.
    Nicolas Lane
    Nicolas Lane
    07:50 12 Oct 19
    David is so on point! He worked on my criminal defence case, great guy and great outcome. Would give him 10 stars if I could.
    Gillian Smith
    Gillian Smith
    08:50 29 Oct 19
    David worked on my sister in law sponsorship application. She is from Bulgaria and the immigration process from that country to Canada is pretty complex. My brother told us David was always reachable, answered every question they had and most importantly, my sister in law is now in Canada with us!
    Karen Gallo
    Karen Gallo
    08:42 08 Nov 19
    David is very professional and thorough. He helped me to deal with my speeding over 50 charge. Great job!
    Bahareh Shai
    Bahareh Shai
    19:13 21 Jan 20
    Best Lawyer ever! dropped my charges a few years ago, still keep in touch with him! really appreciate his work and effort! life changing ! He's the best lawyer in the field!
    Lucy Zimmerman
    Lucy Zimmerman
    19:29 19 Feb 20
    I was refered to David by a good friend of mine, when I needed help the most. It was a difficult time for me and working with him on my side really helped me to get through it. I recommend David and his law firm to anyone who needs help with criminal law.
    Terri Burningham
    Terri Burningham
    03:37 17 Feb 20
    I had a DUI charge and was very anxious about it as you can imagine. Looking for a bail lawyer I scheduled meetings at several law firms. Costa was my third meeting and the moment we set down with him I knew he should represent me. He is compassionate and honest guy who genuinely wants best for his clients. I can't thank him enough for all the help with my case.
    Sean Keller
    Sean Keller
    15:12 25 Feb 20
    I had GREAT experience hiring mr. costa as my bail lawyer, highly recommend!
    Scott Chen
    Scott Chen
    16:07 26 Feb 20