Criminal Defence Lawyer Calgary - KJR Law

Criminal Defence Lawyers
in Calgary & Southern Alberta

We represent people charged with criminal offences in Calgary and across the Southern Alberta circuit. If the police have contacted you, or you have been charged, you can reach us today.

Do not give a statement to the police before you speak with a lawyer. You have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel under sections 7 and 10 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Use them.

Get a Free Consultation Call Now: 587-583-2808

Available Day or Night

From our Calgary office we travel to courthouses across Southern Alberta.

Judicial centres we appear in: Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Drumheller, Airdrie, Cochrane, Canmore.

Other communities we represent clients from: Okotoks, Diamond Valley (formerly Turner Valley), Didsbury, Strathmore, Fort Macleod, Taber, Pincher Creek, Cardston, Brooks, Hanna.

We also appear in matters arising on Tsuut’ina Nation, Siksika Nation, and Kainai (Blood Tribe).

Criminal Defence · Calgary & Southern Alberta

Welcome to Kraus Janzen Ryland Law

Being charged with a criminal offence is stressful — for you and often for your family. From the first conversation we explain what you are facing, set out the options available to you, and tell you what to expect at each stage. We do this in plain language, and we keep you informed throughout — so you understand what is happening, what is coming next, and why.

What the first conversation covers

What you are facing

The charge against you, what it means, and what the Crown must prove before a court can convict.

The options available to you

The realistic paths open in your matter, set out clearly before any decision has to be made.

What to expect at each stage

Each stage of the process — what happens, when, and why — explained before you get there.

How We Work

We will guide you
every step of the way.

From the first call through to resolution, you work with the lawyer who takes your file. We explain each step before it happens — bail conditions, disclosure review, election decisions, trial preparation, and the realistic outcomes available in your matter. Knowing the process is the first part of having a strategy.

Our Process and Our Cases

One Area of Law

Criminal Defence Exclusively.

Criminal law is what we do — not one of several things, but the only thing. We follow Alberta Court of Justice and Court of King’s Bench decisions in our practice areas as they come down, read the Supreme Court rulings that affect criminal procedure, and approach each file as the specific procedural problem it is. A focused practice is how a criminal defence lawyer stays sharp.

Learn More About Our Firm

Our Lawyers

We are ready to defend you.

Brad Kraus, criminal defence lawyer at KJR Law

Brad Kraus

Criminal defence lawyer practising in Calgary and across the Southern Alberta circuit. Raised in a policing family — his father served with the Edmonton Police Service for thirty-five years — Brad practises criminal defence exclusively.

Learn more Greg Janzen, criminal defence lawyer at KJR Law

Greg Janzen

Criminal defence and appellate lawyer appearing in every level of Alberta court. PhD in philosophy from the University of Calgary, JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, sessional instructor in jurisprudence at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law.

Learn more Elena Ryland, criminal defence lawyer at KJR Law

Elena Ryland

Criminal defence lawyer who studied criminal law at the University of Alberta, articled at a criminal defence firm in Edmonton, and worked with Alberta Crown Prosecution Services before moving into private criminal defence.

Learn more

Before You Retain a Lawyer

How to Choose a Criminal Defence Lawyer

Choosing a criminal defence lawyer is a serious decision and should not turn on a slogan, a "best of" badge, or a star count. Here is what to actually look at when you compare lawyers.

  • Practice focus. Does this lawyer practise criminal defence as their main area of work, or as one of many?

  • Court experience. What courts has this lawyer appeared in, and at what levels?

  • Fee transparency. Will the lawyer set out fees, disbursements, and GST in writing before any work begins?

  • Communication. Will this lawyer explain things to you clearly — including things you may not want to hear?

  • Conflicts. Does the lawyer run a conflict check before agreeing to act, and explain who else in the office may have access to your file?

Be cautious with rankings and "best of" badges. The Law Society of Alberta does not certify specialists in criminal defence — any claim of specialisation is, at minimum, imprecise. Many directory listings are paid placements; others are algorithmic rankings without meaningful screening. None of them tell you whether a particular lawyer is right for your particular matter.

Read more on how to evaluate a criminal defence lawyer

Resources

The guides below explain how the criminal process works in Alberta, in plain terms. Each links to a dedicated page on one part of a case — what to expect, what your rights are, and the decisions that come up along the way. They are general information about the law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a lawyer about your own situation. If you are facing a charge or an investigation, call us.

Guide Bail Hearings in Alberta Release is the rule and detention the exception. How bail works in Alberta — the first hearing, the grounds for detention, reverse onus, building a release plan, and the options if bail is refused. Read the bail guide

Charges We Defend

Our Practice Areas

Below are the practice areas we cover. Each links to a dedicated page setting out the law that governs the offence, the typical issues that arise in defending the charge, and what an investigation or prosecution in that area usually involves. We act across the full range — from a first-time Immediate Roadside Sanctions appeal through to the most serious indictable offences in the Criminal Code. The list below is not exhaustive; if your charge is not shown, call us.

Animal Cruelty Animal cruelty offences are governed primarily by sections 444 to 447.1 of the Criminal Code and by the Alberta Animal Protection Act. Files in this area typically involve allegations of wilful neglect, failure to provide adequate care, or active mistreatment, and they routinely engage both the criminal track and a parallel regulatory track. Convictions can produce prohibition orders banning the keeping of animals — sometimes for life. Read more Arson Arson offences are governed by sections 433 to 436.1 of the Criminal Code. The provisions distinguish among arson causing danger to life, arson causing damage to property, arson for fraudulent purposes, arson by negligence, and the lesser offence of possession of incendiary materials. Investigation work in these files is fire-science-driven and reviewable on its technical merits. Read more Assault Assault under section 265 of the Criminal Code covers the application of force, the attempt or threat of force, and the act of accosting another person while openly wearing or carrying a weapon. The provision is broad; visible injury is not required, and contact is not required where a threat is alleged. Charges range from common assault to assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and aggravated assault. Read more Break and Enter Break and enter offences are governed by section 348 of the Criminal Code. The offence requires unlawful entry into a place with intent to commit an indictable offence inside — most commonly theft, but the principle extends to any indictable offence. Where the place is a dwelling, the maximum sentence is life imprisonment. Read more Child Luring Child luring under section 172.1 of the Criminal Code covers the use of telecommunications to communicate with a person believed to be under 18 (or under 16, or under 14, depending on the underlying offence) for the purpose of facilitating a sexual offence. These files frequently arise from undercover police operations in which the “child” is in fact an officer. The investigation, the entrapment analysis, and the digital-evidence framework are the contested terrain. Read more Child Pornography Child pornography offences are governed by section 163.1 of the Criminal Code. The provision creates five principal offences — making, distributing, possessing, accessing, and the aggravated offence for profit — and the sentencing landscape has been fundamentally reshaped by the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2025 decision in Attorney General of Quebec v. Senneville. Forensic-evidence challenges and Charter litigation are at the heart of modern files. Read more Criminal Harassment Criminal harassment under section 264 of the Criminal Code — often called stalking — requires repeated or persistent conduct that causes another person to reasonably fear for their safety or the safety of someone known to them. Modern files frequently rest on digital communications: text messages, social-media activity, GPS data. The conduct alleged, the relationship history, and the question of what was reasonably foreseeable are the litigated ground. Read more Dangerous Driving Dangerous driving offences are governed by section 320.13 of the Criminal Code (and parallel provisions in Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act). The offence requires operation of a motor vehicle in a manner dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances. Sentencing escalates substantially where bodily harm or death is alleged, and parallel provincial sanctions stack onto the federal charge. Read more Domestic Violence Domestic violence files involve criminal charges — typically assault, uttering threats, mischief, or breach of order — in a current or former intimate-partner context. Once police are called, the file is rarely subject to withdrawal at the complainant’s request alone, and the prosecution is conducted by Alberta’s specialized Domestic Violence Court track. The first 24 hours, the bail conditions, and the no-contact order frequently set the shape of the file for months. Read more Drug Offences Drug offences are governed primarily by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and cover possession, possession for the purpose of trafficking, trafficking, importation, and production. Schedule classification determines the sentencing exposure; trafficking and production charges carry the most serious consequences. Charter-driven challenges to searches, vehicle stops, and warrants do substantial work in these files. Read more Firearms Offences Firearms offences cover a wide range of conduct: unauthorized possession, possession contrary to a prohibition order, unsafe storage, use in commission of an offence, trafficking, and the import or export of weapons. The penalty structure escalates by firearm classification — restricted and prohibited firearms attract substantially higher exposure than non-restricted variants. Parallel licensing consequences under the federal firearms regime follow conviction. Read more Flight from Police Flight from a peace officer under section 320.17 of the Criminal Code — failure to stop a motor vehicle for police — is a stand-alone Criminal Code offence with serious sentencing exposure. Where bodily harm or death is alleged, the offence is treated as a serious personal injury offence under section 752. Parallel disqualification provisions under Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act operate independently of any federal sentence. Read more Fraud & White-Collar Crime Fraud under section 380 of the Criminal Code covers the use of deceit, falsehood, or other fraudulent means to deprive another of money, property, or any valuable security. Where the amount exceeds $5,000 (or where the offence affects the public market or involves a position of trust), the offence is indictable with substantial penalty exposure. White-collar files typically involve voluminous disclosure, parallel regulatory proceedings, and complex restitution questions. Read more Identity Theft Identity-theft and cyber-fraud offences are governed primarily by sections 402.1 through 403 of the Criminal Code, along with related provisions covering credit-card data (sections 342 and 342.01), unauthorized use of computers (section 342.1), and identity-document offences (section 56.1). The framework was significantly expanded by Bill S-4 (2009) and continues to evolve with each technology cycle. Investigations frequently span multiple jurisdictions and involve banking, telecommunications, and internet-service-provider records. Read more Immediate Roadside Sanctions The Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS) program operates under Alberta’s Provincial Administrative Penalties Act and applies to alcohol- and drug-impaired driving allegations through immediate administrative penalties — licence suspension, vehicle seizure, and monetary penalties — imposed at the roadside. Disputes proceed through SafeRoads Alberta on a 7-day timeline. IRS sanctions can apply alongside, or instead of, criminal charges. Read more Impaired Driving Impaired driving offences are governed by section 320.14 of the Criminal Code and cover impairment by alcohol, by drug, or by the combined effect of both, as well as driving over the prescribed blood-alcohol or blood-drug concentration. Mandatory minimums apply on conviction, with penalties graduated by blood-alcohol concentration under section 320.19. Federal driving prohibitions and Alberta licence-suspension consequences run in parallel. Read more Mischief Mischief under section 430 of the Criminal Code covers destruction or damage to property, rendering property dangerous, useless, inoperative, or ineffective, or wrongful interference with the lawful use, enjoyment, or operation of property. The conduct caught is wide. Penalty exposure escalates substantially where the property is computer data (section 430(1.1)) or where mischief endangers life. Read more Obstruction Obstruction of a peace officer under section 129 of the Criminal Code covers wilful interference with a peace officer in the lawful execution of their duties — resisting arrest, refusing to identify, providing false information, or otherwise impeding investigation. The “lawful execution” element is the most-litigated piece: where the officer’s conduct itself was unlawful, the obstruction charge cannot stand. Read more Possession of Stolen Property Possession of property obtained by crime under section 354 of the Criminal Code applies whether or not the accused was the original thief. The Crown’s case is supplemented by the common-law doctrine of recent possession from R v Kowlyk, [1988] 2 SCR 59 and, in motor-vehicle files, by the statutory VIN presumption under section 354(2). Trafficking offences under sections 355.2 and 355.4 carry materially higher exposure. Read more Robbery Robbery under section 343 of the Criminal Code is theft accompanied by violence, threats of violence, or the use or display of a weapon, including imitation weapons. Every variant carries a life maximum. The mandatory minimum framework was substantially restructured by Bill C-5 in 2022 and was clarified by the Supreme Court of Canada in R v Hilbach, 2023 SCC 3 — the 4-year minimum for robbery with an ordinary firearm was repealed; the 5- and 7-year minimums for restricted or prohibited firearms remain in force. Read more Sexual Assault Sexual assault is governed by sections 271 through 273 of the Criminal Code, covering the simple offence, sexual assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm, and aggravated sexual assault. The consent and mistaken-belief framework has been substantially reshaped by Parliament’s 2018 amendments and by Supreme Court of Canada decisions in Barton, J.J., and Kinamore — with judgment reserved in May 2026 in R v Bilinski, which is expected to refine the mens rea analysis in every sexual assault prosecution. Pre-trial applications under sections 276 and 278.92, along with the records regime in section 278, frequently shape what evidence is available at trial. Read more Sexual Offences Sexual offences are governed primarily by sections 271 through 273 of the Criminal Code (sexual assault and its aggravated forms), along with the offences in sections 151 through 153 (sexual offences against children and youth) and a range of related provisions including voyeurism, sharing of intimate images without consent, and child luring. These files engage specialized procedural rules under sections 276 and 278 of the Criminal Code. Sentencing exposure is substantial across the framework. Read more Theft Theft under section 322 of the Criminal Code covers the fraudulent taking or conversion of property without colour of right. Penalties are graduated by value under section 334 — theft over $5,000 attracts a 10-year maximum on indictment; theft under $5,000 is a hybrid offence. Specialized provisions cover motor vehicle theft (section 333.1), theft by a person required to account (section 332), and criminal breach of trust (section 336). Read more Uttering Threats Uttering threats under section 264.1 of the Criminal Code covers threats to cause death or bodily harm to a person, to burn, destroy, or damage property, or to kill, poison, or injure an animal. The offence can arise from heated arguments, text messages, social-media posts, or any communicated statement. The Crown must prove the words were uttered, that they amounted to a threat, and that they were made knowingly — the absence of any of those elements is open ground. Read more