Criminal defence counsel in Toronto, Canada. Decoding Canadian criminal law.
Toronto, Ontario
Joined September 2026
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Convicted by words alone.
In a criminal trial, words are evidence. A witness's words at trial can be enough to convict.
Check out my blog post:
stephanieheyens.ca/post/conv…
Russell Brand was convicted in the UK largely on sworn testimony. That is how trials work in Canada too: people are convicted on what a witness says under oath every day.
Why physical evidence only corroborates:
stephanieheyens.ca/post/conv…
Did Lenin or Mao consent?
These museums pulled their Egyptian mummies from public display. Here’s why cp24.com/news/world/2026/10/…
ALT These museums pulled their Egyptian mummies from public display. Here’s why
Found in the back seat of his car with the keys. Charged with impaired driving and refusing a breath sample. Acquitted: no care or control.
Why sitting in a parked car isn't automatically "operating" it, and what the Crown has to prove:
stephanieheyens.ca/post/care…
Under Jordan, delay caused by the defence comes off the clock. A missed court date, a wrong courtroom or a lost Zoom link can cost your client. My Daily Brief Bot emails you every evening with the next day's court list and clickable Zoom links. stephanieheyens.ca/crimtech-…
Legal Aid pays defence lawyers a maximum of 15 hrs-less than 2 days of work-to attend set dates, review hrs of video & other evidence disclosure, meetings w/ the Crown, meetings w/the client, & drafting motions & cross-examinations.
Tomorrow's court list, meetings and every Zoom link in one evening email. That's Daily Brief Bot. Skeptical? Try the Client Court Date Reminder bot free, download right here: x.ai/bot/JaZR7E6PQJ_e2xF-Piu…
How can AI help criminal defence lawyers in Ontario? Court lists, Zoom links, sign-ups, client letters and Legal Aid dockets, handled by an AI agent while counsel keeps the judgment. stephanieheyens.ca/post/ai-t…
NOW AVAILABLE. Daily Brief Bot from CrimTech Automations. It runs on GrokBot.
Every evening receive your meetings and court schedule complete with Zoom links.
BONUS FEATURE: Automated sign up on counsel sign up sheets.
Available at: stephanieheyens.ca/crimtech-…
Stephanie Heyens | Criminal Defence Lawyer retweeted
This morning, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously dismissed the Crown's appeal in R v AM. Section 276 screening regime did not automatically apply to sexual services or human trafficking prosecutions decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc… #SCC
My client resolved all his matters in a plea deal. Two days later, police laid two new charges. At bail, I argued they should have been laid before the plea, and laying them after was an improper bid to prosecute him separately and seek jail again. Withdrawn hours later.
A vague question gets a vague answer. Years in court teach you which questions matter, and that's what makes AI useful.
stephanieheyens.ca/post/the-…
A vague question gets a vague answer. Years in court teach you which questions matter, and that's what makes AI useful.
stephanieheyens.ca/post/the-…
New on the website: Rights Bites, bite-sized trivia on Ontario criminal law. Test what you know about your rights on arrest, bail, and what really happens in criminal court, one quick question at a time.
stephanieheyens.ca/rights-bi…
How does bail work in Canada? If you've been charged, or someone has asked you to be their surety, this short video explains what happens and what the court expects.
stephanieheyens.ca/bail-and-…
The Crown asked for a year. The judge gave six months, less time already served.
Four commercial break-ins and theft over $6,000. A sentence that weighs the person, not just the charge sheet.
Just as young litigators, without extensive life experience, don’t know what questions to ask, so it is with AI. Finding answers isn’t the challenge. Knowing what to ask is the challenge.
Asked to be a surety? This short video explains what a surety does, what the court expects of you, and what to think about before you agree.
stephanieheyens.ca/bail-and-…
Charged and waiting for your first court date? This short video explains what happens at your first appearance, what to bring, and what to do while you wait.
stephanieheyens.ca/bail-and-…
Clients can win without saying a word.
The best cross-examination pokes so many holes in witness testimony that their story falls apart like Swiss cheese.
stephanieheyens.ca/post/swis…