Criminal Lawyer in Toronto

R. Graham Zoppi

662 King Street West, Suite 102B
Toronto, Ontario M5V1M7
Canada

(416) 873-6970

www.criminal-lawyer-in-toronto.ca

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Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

Graham Zoppi is a leading Toronto criminal lawyer providing exceptional defense of all criminal charges, with a focus on four primary areas, namely: drinking and driving, domestic assault, drugs, and theft/fraud. He tirelessly pursues all available defenses whether factual, legal, constitutional or technical.

Sometimes the facts are not on a client's side as the physical evidence is overwhelming. In such cases the only way to win at trial is via the exclusion of evidence. Toronto defense lawyer Graham Zoppi has argued and won applications to have key evidence excluded at trial in countless cases. He also has a proven track record of getting clients' charges dismissed due to unreasonable delay. These issues arise regularly in Mr. Zoppi's primary practice areas of drinking and driving, drug cases and fraud.

Lawyer Graham Zoppi has successfully defended charges as serious as attempted murder, sexual assault and robbery. No case is too big or too small, as he understands that to those charged with a criminal offense, all cases are "big" cases.

Year this Office was Established: 2000

Languages: English, French, Tamil (interpreter available).

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Sexual Assault; Domestic Assault; Firearms Charges; Break & Enter; Communicate for the Purpose of Prostitution; Bail Hearings.

Practice Areas Description

Our practice areas include, but not limited to the defense of following types of charges:

- DUI

Drinking and Driving Offenses consist of three specific offenses, namely “Over 80”, Impaired Driving, and Refuse Breath Sample. Toronto DUI Lawyer Graham Zoppi aggressively defends all three of these offenses on a regular basis. The following is an overview of the different types of drinking and driving charges:

• Impaired Driving (Impaired Operation)
In order for the prosecution to establish guilt for this offense, it must prove that the accused was operating a motor vehicle while his ability to do so was impaired by alcohol. There is also a lesser included offense of Impaired “Care and Control” where an accused can be found guilty even when not operating the vehicle, if he is in a position of “care and control” over the vehicle at a time when his ability is impaired.

• Over 80
Impaired Driving is to be contrasted with the offense of “Over 80”. For this offense the Crown need only prove that the accused’s blood alcohol level was over 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood at a time when the accused was in care and control of a motor vehicle. The ability of the accused to operate the motor vehicle is irrelevant to the analysis of guilt for this charge.

• Refuse Breath Sample
It is an offense to refuse to provide a Roadside Sample or a formal Breathalyzer sample once taken to the police station. This offense carries the same penalty as Impaired Driving or Over 80. In order to establish criminal liability, the prosecution must establish that the accused failed to provide a sample without a “lawful excuse”.

- Sexual Assault

When charged with a sexual offense, you need a Toronto sexual assault lawyer who has experience defending sexual offenses and overcoming the evidentiary challenges that they present. Toronto sexual assault lawyer Graham Zoppi has successfully defended countless sexual assault charges for his clients. In over a decade of practice, he has yet to lose a sexual assault trial.

- Drug Offenses

Possession of any amount of narcotic is a criminal offense in Canada, and can have serious ramifications on factors such as employment and the ability to travel. Drug charges are criminal charges by virtue of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The prosecutors responsible for these offenses are a separate group of lawyers working for the Department of Justice who vigorously prosecute drug charges. You owe it to yourself to hire a Toronto drug lawyer who is skilled at defending these types of charges. This frequently involves challenging the lawfulness of vehicle searches, random pat down searches, searches incident to arrest, as well as the validity of search warrants and wiretap authorizations. Toronto drug lawyer Graham Zoppi will put forward all available defenses to help you avoid the hardships of a conviction for a drug offense.

- Theft and Fraud

If you have been charged with a property offense, please consult with an experienced Toronto fraud lawyer. Graham Zoppi has defended countless individuals charged with theft and fraud charges, the majority walking away with no criminal record. He has successfully defended clients charged with $1,000,000 frauds, thefts from employers, bank frauds, credit card frauds, down to simple shoplifting charges.

- Domestic Assault

Graham Zoppi is a Toronto domestic assault lawyer who has represented clients on hundreds of domestic assault charges, the majority of which he has convinced the prosecution to withdraw without even having to go to trial. Where matters have to go to trial, Mr. Zoppi engages in thorough and aggressive cross-examination of domestic assault complainants, usually resulting in acquittals for his clients.

- Bail Hearings

If a loved one has been arrested, please contact Toronto bail hearing lawyer Graham Zoppi immediately. He will make sure that the best possible plan is put together to ensure the release of your loved one. This includes:

• contacting the police to determine where the accused is being held and what court the bail hearing will be in;
• speaking with your friend or family member to advise them of their legal rights, in particular ensuring that they do not give a statement to police;
• canvassing the best possible surety to appear in court to sign for the accused;
• putting together a plan of release that optimizes the chances that bail is granted;
• preparing sureties for the standard tricks and traps used by prosecutors when cross-examining sureties and ensuring that sureties bring the necessary documents to establish their ability to meet the monetary amount set for bail.