Helping You Fight Back After a Conviction

At XPolice Hamilton, we know not every conviction is the end of the story. Maybe you missed your court date. Maybe you paid a ticket you didn’t fully understand. Or maybe the court convicted you without your knowledge. In many cases, you still have legal options.

We assist with Part I and Part III Reopenings, Appeals, and Extensions for time to pay in the Hamilton area and beyond.

A Reopening is used when you’ve been convicted without attending court and you have not yet paid the fine. This usually happens when someone misses their court date or never receives notice of the trial.

If the court accepts your application, the conviction is set aside, and the matter is brought back into court as if it never happened. This gives you a chance to properly respond to the charge.

You may be eligible for a reopening if:

• You were convicted without attending court
• You have not paid the fine
• You took action within 15 days of discovering the conviction
• You had a valid reason for missing your court date (e.g. illness, address change, emergency)
   

⚠️ Reopenings apply to Part I tickets only. If the fine has already been paid, or more than 15 days have passed since you learned of the conviction, a reopening may not be available—but an appeal might be.
 

An Appeal is used to challenge a conviction or sentence after a guilty plea, trial, or if a Part I reopening was denied. For Part III offences, where trials are held even if you don't attend, an appeal is the only way to contest the conviction.

You may be eligible to appeal if:

• You pled guilty without understanding the consequences
• You were convicted at trial and believe there was a legal error
• You were convicted in your absence (Part III)
• The penalty was excessive or improperly applied
• A reopening was denied and you have valid legal grounds to challenge the outcome
   

⚠️ Appeals require legal grounds to proceed. Simply disagreeing with the decision is not enough. You must be able to show that the Justice made an error in law, fact, or process.
 

Reopenings

• Must be filed within 15 days of learning about the conviction
• Only available if the fine has not been paid
• No transcript required
• Applies only to Part I tickets
   

Appeals

• Must be filed within 30 days of conviction or sentence
• Requires ordering court transcripts (at the client’s expense)
• Available for Part I and Part III matters
• Extension requests may be possible if you're outside the 30-day window, depending on circumstances
   

• Review your case history and eligibility
• Draft and file all necessary documents (including affidavits and notices of appeal)
• Guide you through transcript requests and deadlines
• Represent you in court for the reopening or appeal hearing
• Advocate for a fair second look at your matter
   

• Careless Driving
• Stunt Driving
• Speeding
• Drive Under Suspension
• No Insurance
• Fail to Remain
• And more…
   

If you’ve been convicted in your absence, pled guilty without full understanding, or received an unfair result—let’s talk.