Facing criminal charges in Ottawa puts your freedom and your record on the line. The criminal defence lawyer beside you shapes the outcome. Frouhar Law defends people charged with assault, impaired driving, drug offences, fraud, sexual assault and homicide in every Ottawa courtroom. Mash Frouhar prosecuted cases for the Crown before she built this criminal defence firm. That experience is now working for you.
Call 613.238.2000 day or night for a free consultation.
Frouhar Law is an Ottawa criminal law firm built on trial work. Our criminal lawyers bring decades of combined courtroom experience to every file. Crown prosecutors decide what to charge and what deal to offer. Knowing how they think is an advantage most defence lawyers have to guess at.
Mash Frouhar founded Frouhar Law after serving as an Assistant Crown Attorney. She prosecuted before she defended, so she knows what a Crown needs to see before agreeing to withdraw or reduce a charge.
Mash has practised criminal law since 2009. She sits on a specialized Legal Aid Ontario panel reserved for the most serious charges, including homicide, and has taken murder, human trafficking and sexual assault cases to trial. She has argued cases up to the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Mash is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa and the County of Carleton Law Association. She represents clients in English, French and Farsi.
We take on cases other firms turn away. Our defence lawyers have direct trial experience in the areas that demand the most courtroom skill:
Every client receives a defence strategy built for their facts, aimed at charges withdrawn, an acquittal or a reduced sentence. Clients reach a lawyer 24 hours a day, including the night of an arrest.
Founding partner and former Assistant Crown Attorney, with trial experience in homicide, human trafficking and serious violent offences at every level of court in Ontario.
Connie has practised criminal law exclusively since 1993. A member of the American DUI Defense Lawyers Association, she focuses on impaired driving defence and white collar crime, and has represented politicians, athletes and regulated professionals whose reputation is on the line.
Often your first point of contact with the firm, Micaela supports our lawyers with scheduling, document review and trial preparation, and serves Spanish-speaking clients.
Yuna provides administrative, procedural and client support to counsel, keeping clients informed while protecting accuracy and confidentiality on every file.
Your first meeting costs nothing. Tell us what happened and leave with a clear picture of the charge and your options.
Explore Our Areas Of Practice
The Criminal Code sets out assault offences in sections 265 to 268, and the penalty depends on the injury and on whether a weapon was involved. Assault causing bodily harm carries up to 10 years. Our lawyers look first at the Crown’s evidence of force, consent and self-defence.
A charge laid in a domestic violence context brings a criminal record risk plus no-contact orders. Those bail conditions can keep you out of your own home and complicate family court before any trial date is set.
Aggravated assault is a straight indictable offence carrying up to 14 years. The Crown must prove wounding, maiming, disfiguring or endangering life, and that injury threshold is often where the defence starts.
An assault with a weapon charge turns on what the Crown can prove the object was and how it was used. Intent matters.
Criminal allegations of a sexual nature move fast, often on a complainant’s statement alone. Sexual assault charges carry prison exposure, and aggravated sexual assault carries a maximum of life imprisonment. Our lawyers test consent, credibility and the timeline of every statement. Mash Frouhar has defended sexual assault charges at trial and handles these files with the discretion they require.
A conviction can trigger registration under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, with reporting duties that can last 10 years, 20 years or life. Our lawyers advise on SOIRA registration orders and challenge them where the law allows.
Murder charges must be tried in the Superior Court of Justice, usually before a jury that must reach a unanimous verdict. Defences include self-defence, provocation and intoxication affecting intent.
First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years. The Crown must prove planning and deliberation, or a listed circumstance such as the killing of a peace officer.
Second-degree murder carries life imprisonment, with parole eligibility set by the judge between 10 and 25 years. The fight is usually over intent.
Manslaughter carries a maximum of life but no minimum in most cases. The label matters. Proving manslaughter rather than murder changes the sentence dramatically.
Criminal negligence causing death is an indictable offence with a maximum of life. The Crown must prove a marked and substantial departure from reasonable conduct, not a simple mistake.
Human trafficking also carries a maximum of life imprisonment, and higher minimums apply when the complainant is under 18. Mash Frouhar has taken human trafficking cases to trial, an area where few Ottawa firms go to court.
Arrests happen without warning.
Reach a defence lawyer before you answer police questions, day or night.
Call 613.238.2000 Now
First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years. The Crown must prove planning and deliberation, or a listed circumstance such as the killing of a peace officer.
Second-degree murder carries life imprisonment, with parole eligibility set by the judge between 10 and 25 years. The fight is usually over intent.
Manslaughter carries a maximum of life but no minimum in most cases. The label matters. Proving manslaughter rather than murder changes the sentence dramatically.
Criminal negligence causing death is an indictable offence with a maximum of life. The Crown must prove a marked and substantial departure from reasonable conduct, not a simple mistake.
Human trafficking also carries a maximum of life imprisonment, and higher minimums apply when the complainant is under 18. Mash Frouhar has taken human trafficking cases to trial, an area where few Ottawa firms go to court.
Arrests happen without warning. Reach a defence lawyer before you answer police questions, day or night.
Connie D’Angelo leads our DUI practice. Impaired driving, over 80 and breath sample refusal are all Criminal Code offences, and a first conviction brings:
Ontario adds its own penalties. An immediate 90-day licence suspension comes at the roadside, before any court date. A BAC between 0.05 and 0.079 falls in the warn range: roadside suspensions, but no criminal charge.
Police must follow strict rules. Those rules govern the traffic stop and every demand for a breath sample, so Connie examines the grounds for the stop, the breathalyser’s maintenance records and whether you were told of your right to counsel.
An error at the roadside can decide the whole case.
Dangerous driving is a crime; careless driving is not. Provincial charges create no criminal record, but speeding, stunt driving and careless driving tickets can still cost demerit points, insurance and your licence.
Drug offences fall under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which lists the controlled substances, and the Cannabis Act. Even a first drug offence can close borders. Most drug cases begin with a search, so a search and seizure challenge under the Charter is usually the first defence we examine.
Possession for the purpose of trafficking is a serious indictable offence. The Crown often relies on quantity, packaging and phone records to infer trafficking; each inference can be challenged.
Cannabis Act charges remain common after legalization. They include possession over the legal limit, distribution without a licence and cultivation beyond permitted amounts.
White collar crime charges including fraud, identity theft, and falsification of documents carry serious penalties — imprisonment, restitution orders, and permanent damage to professional reputation. Connie D’Angelo brings focused expertise in defending complex fraud and financial crime cases.
Identity fraud offences are increasingly prosecuted in Ottawa courts. Our criminal defence lawyers review digital evidence, challenge chain of custody, and build a defence tailored to the specific allegations.
Falsification charges often arise in corporate and financial investigations. We defend these complex white collar offences with thorough evidence analysis and strategic courtroom advocacy.
Firearms cases are among the most technical weapons offences in criminal law. Classification, licensing and storage rules decide whether a crime was committed at all.
Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm is an indictable offence with serious jail exposure. We challenge the legality of the search, the firearm’s classification and the Crown’s proof that you had knowledge and control.
Fraud over $5,000 carries up to 14 years under section 380 of the Criminal Code. We defend embezzlement, insurance fraud, mortgage fraud and tax evasion. These cases are won on digital evidence and bank records, and a negotiated restitution plan can change the sentence.
Identity theft and identity fraud are separate offences under sections 402.2 and 403. Our lawyers review the digital trail, device seizures and the chain of custody behind every exhibit.
Falsification charges usually grow out of corporate and financial investigations. The Crown must prove intent to defraud, which forensic accounting evidence can undermine.
Property offences range from shoplifting and mischief to home invasion. A theft conviction still means a criminal record.
Break and enter is punishable by up to life when a dwelling house is involved. The Crown must prove unlawful entry and intent.
Home invasion is treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing, so the same facts can mean a much longer sentence.
Robbery is theft with violence or threats, and extortion uses threats to obtain something of value. Both carry a maximum of life imprisonment.
The Crown must prove you knew the property was obtained by crime. Without that knowledge, there is no offence.
A criminal conviction results in a permanent record affecting employment, travel, immigration, child custody, and professional licensing. Even charges that seem minor — a first-time theft or summary conviction offence — carry consequences lasting a lifetime. Early consultation with a criminal lawyer gives you the best chance of avoiding a record.
Duty counsel provides basic legal advice at the courthouse but handles dozens of cases daily and cannot dedicate time to investigation and strategic preparation. A private criminal defence lawyer at Frouhar Law works exclusively on your case — reviewing disclosure, filing Charter motions, retaining experts, and building a defence tailored to your circumstances.
After an arrest in Ottawa, you are fingerprinted, photographed and processed, your first step into the criminal justice system. Minor charges usually end with a release and a promise to appear in court; serious ones mean custody and a bail hearing. Our criminal defence services cover every stage after that:
The Criminal Code requires that a person held in custody be brought before a Justice of the Peace within 24 hours. The Crown may oppose release on the grounds of flight risk, public safety or confidence in the justice system.
Frouhar Law prepares a release plan with sureties and conditions before the hearing starts, and returns for bail reviews when a first hearing goes wrong. For Indigenous clients, we raise Gladue principles at bail as well as at sentencing.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects every accused person against unreasonable search and seizure, arbitrary detention and denial of the right to counsel. When police breach those Charter rights, our lawyers bring a Charter motion asking the court to exclude the evidence under section 24(2).
Excluded evidence often means the Crown can no longer prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and charges are withdrawn. Delay is a separate route: a case that exceeds the ceilings the Supreme Court of Canada set in R. v. Jordan (18 months in the Ontario Court of Justice, 30 in the Superior Court) can be stayed under section 11(b).
If police broke the rules, the evidence may never reach the jury.
Stay silent. Use your right to remain silent and ask for a criminal defence lawyer right away. Do not sit for a police interview or give a statement before you get legal advice. Our Get Answers rights guide covers police questioning.
Fees depend on the charge and whether the case goes to trial. Frouhar Law offers a free initial consultation, fully confidential, and explains its fees before you commit. Our article on criminal lawyer fees in Ontario compares hourly and block-fee billing.
Yes, in many cases. The Crown withdraws charges when evidence is weak, when Charter rights were breached or when a resolution such as diversion or a peace bond is negotiated. No lawyer can promise an outcome, but early defence work creates these options.
Jail is not automatic for a first offence. Many first-time charges end in a discharge, probation or a suspended sentence; others bring fines or prison time, and some carry mandatory minimums. A conviction creates a criminal record affecting employment, travel, child custody and professional licensing, and for non-citizens it can lead to deportation; a record suspension takes years to obtain.
Duty counsel, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, gives basic legal advice at the courthouse but handles dozens of files a day. Private defence counsel works on your case alone: reviewing disclosure, filing Charter motions, retaining experts and preparing for trial.
A summary conviction offence is less serious, carries a maximum of two years less a day, and is tried in the Ontario Court of Justice without a jury. An indictable offence carries higher maximum sentences, and many give you the choice of a jury. Most criminal offences are hybrid, so the Crown elects how to proceed.
Frouhar Law’s office is at 190 O’Connor Street in downtown Ottawa. Our lawyers also defend criminal charges in Brockville and across eastern Ontario, and Mash Frouhar is a member of the Defence Counsel Association of Brockville.
Most criminal cases in Ottawa start in the Ontario Court of Justice at 161 Elgin Street, where bail hearings, guilty pleas and most trials take place. The Superior Court of Justice, in the same building, hears murder trials, jury trials and summary conviction appeals.
Our criminal defence lawyers also appear in the courthouses in Kingston, Pembroke, Perth and L’Orignal, which serves Hawkesbury and Prescott-Russell.
If you or someone you love is facing criminal charges, contact Frouhar Law for a free consultation in English, French, Farsi, Italian or Spanish. The firm’s lawyer-notaries also offer bilingual notary services for affidavits and apostilles.
Call before you speak to police. A former Crown will tell you what the prosecution needs and how we plan to stop it.
