Crime

Coodes’ Criminal Department, based at our Newquay, Liskeard and St Austell offices, is considered one of the very best in Cornwall by both its clients and other legal professionals. We are accredited by the Law Society as criminal law specialists and top quality advice and representation is assured from the initial investigation through any subsequent proceedings in the Magistrates’ and Crown Court and, where necessary, on to the Court of Appeal. A 24 hour, seven day a week service is provided free of charge for anyone arrested and detained at a police station. The Department consists of three partners, one assistant solicitor and two Accredited Police Station Representatives. All four solicitors also act as both Police Station & Court Duty solicitors in East Cornwall and deal exclusively with criminal defence work. Two of our partners are also Higher Courts (Criminal) Advocates regularly dealing personally with matters before the Crown Court and Court of Appeal.

The Department has successfully acted for people charged in some of the most high profile criminal cases in Cornwall including murder, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, sexual assaults and large scale fraud but we apply the same skills and thoroughness whatever the offence.  We deal with bail applications, trials and guilty pleas on a daily basis. The special expertise we have in defending criminal charges also benefits the firm’s commercial clients who increasingly face prosecution for incidents occurring in the course of their business.

It is a general principle of English criminal law that a person is innocent until proven guilty. This means that it is always for the prosecution to prove both that an offence was committed by the accused person. It is not for the accused to prove they didn’t do it. Every case is scrutinised by our expert team for any shortfall in the prosecution evidence and for any realistic possibility of a defence or way to avoid a conviction.

We are committed to the provision of legally aided criminal defence work. The majority of our work is dealt with under the Legal Aid Scheme and all of the Department’s offices hold Legal Services Commission Criminal Contracts.

We take a pride in the quality of our work believing that everyone has a right to professional representation whenever they face criminal allegations.  Over 92% *of our clients tell us they are “very satisfied “ with the Department’s overall level of service and would recommend us to someone else. More than 96%* of our clients felt that the outcome of their case was better, or the same as, we had advised them it was likely to be.

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