From Summerland and Penticton down to Oliver and the border at Osoyoos, the South Okanagan sees a steady run of impaired, drug and assault charges, especially through the summer. As a criminal lawyer Penticton and South Okanagan clients call after an arrest, Julian Van Der Walle defends these files at the Penticton Law Courts. Call 1-877-212-9645 for a free, confidential consultation.
SOUTH OKANAGAN COURT
SUMMERLAND TO OSOYOOS
CALL 1-877-212-9645
Most criminal charges from the South Okanagan are heard at the Penticton Law Courts on Main Street, which hears Provincial Court and BC Supreme Court matters for the region. Files from Summerland, Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos and Princeton all run through the regional court system.
The South Okanagan has its own patterns. Summer brings tourists, wineries and lake traffic, and with them impaired driving checkstops on Highway 97 and assault files from Penticton’s downtown and beaches. Osoyoos is a border town on the main crossing into Washington State, so charges there can carry travel consequences on top of the criminal ones. Penticton RCMP and the Oliver and Osoyoos detachments handle most of the policing.
Julian reads every page of disclosure, tests the stop, the search and the right to counsel under sections 8, 9 and 10(b) of the Charter, and watches the Jordan delay ceilings. For anyone who needs to cross into the US for work or family, keeping a conviction off the record can matter as much as the sentence.
He works toward the result you actually need, whether that is a withdrawal, a stay, a peace bond, a discharge or an acquittal at trial.
The first conversation is free, by phone, video or in person. Julian goes over the charge, your release conditions and your court dates in Penticton, requests disclosure, and advises whether to resolve early or set the file for trial.
Julian handles the important appearances at the Penticton Law Courts himself and keeps you up to date in between.
It starts with a free consultation. Julian looks at the charge and what happened in Penticton, Oliver or Osoyoos, and gives you an honest read on your options.
Julian works through the disclosure, from checkstop paperwork and breath records to statements and video, looking for Charter breaches and gaps in Crown's case.
Julian represents you at the Penticton Law Courts from bail through resolution talks with Crown or a full trial.
“I sincerely promise and swear that I will diligently, faithfully, and to the best of my ability execute the offices of barrister and solicitor; that I will not promote suits on frivolous pretences; that I will not pervert the law to favour or prejudice anyone; but in all things conduct myself truly and with integrity; and that I will uphold the rule of law and the rights and freedoms of all persons according to the laws of Canada and of the province of British Columbia.”
Julian van der Walle
Julian Van Der Walle defends charges from Summerland, Penticton, Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos and Princeton. The files he sees most from the South Okanagan are impaired driving and IRPs, assault, drug charges and charges that affect the ability to travel. For Central Okanagan files, see his Kelowna page.
Got an IRP at a summer checkstop on Highway 97? You have 7 days from being served to apply for a review. Learn about IRP reviews.
Drug charges in the South Okanagan, including near the Osoyoos border crossing, often turn on the search. Drug charge defence.
From a fight on the Penticton waterfront to a domestic assault charge, Crown often starts high. Julian looks at self-defence and the video. Assault defence.
Online harassment, threats and intimate image charges in the South Okanagan turn on the digital evidence and how police got it. Computer crime defence.
Firearms charges carry heavy penalties, and storage, licensing and the search all matter. Firearms offence defence.
A conviction or sentence from the Penticton Law Courts can be appealed to the BC Court of Appeal within 30 days of sentence. Criminal appeals.
Wine country and lake traffic mean heavy impaired enforcement in the South Okanagan. Julian challenges the stop, the demand and the breath tests. DUI and impaired driving defence.
Theft, mischief, breach of conditions and other Criminal Code charges laid in the South Okanagan. Other criminal charges.
Whatever the charge, get advice before you talk to police, especially if you travel to the US. The consultation with Julian is free and confidential.
Most South Okanagan charges are heard at the Penticton Law Courts on Main Street. Julian confirms the right court once he sees your paperwork.
A conviction, and sometimes even certain charges, can cause problems entering the US. Resolving the file without a conviction, through a withdrawal, stay, peace bond or discharge, gives you the best chance of avoiding those problems.
You have 7 days from being served to apply to RoadSafetyBC for a review. Read more about IRP reviews.
The case stays in Penticton, but Julian can handle many appearances without you travelling back each time, and can work on resolving it as early as possible.
Call 1-877-212-9645 or send Julian a message through the contact form. If you have a court date at the Penticton Law Courts or an IRP deadline coming up, mention it on the call.
If you have been criminally charged and are not sure what to do, you need to get competent legal representation right away.
© 2026 Vernon Criminal Defence | All Rights Reserved