Charged with a Crime

If you have been accused of a crime, you may receive a caution (warning) letter, be asked to participate in extrajudicial sanctions or be required to go to court.

Once you have been charged with a crime, you have the right to a lawyer and to have the lawyer help you throughout. Your parents must be notified about the charge.

Going to Court

You may have to go to court if Crown counsel decides to begin court proceedings. Your case will be heard in Youth Justice Court.

You will be considered innocent until proven guilty. 

Early in the process, you will be asked to plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead guilty, you will be sentenced. If you plead not guilty, you will have a trial.

At the trial, Crown counsel will call witnesses and present evidence. You and your lawyer may also do that. You may give evidence yourself, but you are not required to. 

At the end of the trial, a judge will decide if you are guilty or not guilty. If the judge decides you are guilty, you will be sentenced. If the judge decides you are not guilty, you will be acquitted, which means nothing further can happen with the charges unless the Crown decides to appeal the judge’s decision. 

Charges could also be dismissed after an appeal.

To learn more, please visit Going to Court.

More Information

For more information, see:

• Charged with a Crime (How the Criminal Justice System Works)
• Role of Crown Counsel (Understanding Criminal Justice)
• The Trial (How the Criminal Justice System Works)
• Legal Assistance (Services and Resources)