A peace bond is a court order which ensures peace and good behavior. If someone harmed you or threatened to harm you or your property, he or she can sign an agreement to keep peace which usually means staying away from a person or a place. This is the defendant who must stay away from you and must not involve in any criminal activity for a given period of time. It usually lasts for a year.
A piece of bond must be signed within six months of the incident in question unless the defendant waves this time limit. And signing a peace bond does not mean that the person has admitted the crime. Criminal defense lawyers in Calgary can achieve a peace bond for you the defendant. Paul Gracia is Calgary criminal law firm that can help you with your criminal defense cases.
Conditions in a Peace Bond
Peace bonds usually have conditions as well. These conditions require the defendant to stay away from the complainant. It becomes the responsibility of the defendant to stop any direct or indirect contact with the complainant.
The defendant cannot call you, send you a message or email or even come in your presence. They cannot even send a message through a third person. If they do so, then they break their peace bond and will be liable for their actions. The complainant, however, is free to contact the person but such an act creates difficulty for peace bond to hold.
No Criminal Record
In exchange for peace bond, the defendant is not charged and there is no criminal record filed. However, if the conditions of the peace bond are violated then the defendant may be charged with criminal offenses.
This is the reason why many criminal lawyers pursue peace bonds for their defending clients so they have their record clean and are not charged. There are countless cases that result in peace bonds for many different reasons.
Criminal Charges
If criminal charges are laid on a person then also they can be required to keep away from you. If they plead guilty of the charges then they may be placed on probation and ordered to stay away from the victim. This works similar to a peace bond.
If the defendant has been acquitted or the charges were dismissed, even then the complainant can ask for a peace bond. If the complainant can prove the judges that they have reason to fear the defendant, they may be able to sign a peace bond.
Pledge
A defendant does not pay money to the court but they pledge money. The pledge amount varies. By pledging an amount, the defendant agrees to pay that amount if he or she breaks their peace bond.
Why Hire a Lawyer for Peace Bond?
You are not required by law to hire a lawyer but it is beneficial to hire a lawyer for this purpose. They can give you good advice. With their experience, they can tell you if signing a peace bond is a good option or not.
Now that you know what a peace bond is, you can benefit from this if such a need comes. Remember to hire an experienced lawyer from a reputable firm so that you are aware of your rights.