Dr John Weir · Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law
Criminal defence lawyer for Wagga Wagga and the Riverina
Charged with an offence, served with an AVO or facing a drink or drug driving charge? Talk to John before your first court date. He has over 30 years of courtroom experience and appears in courts across the Riverina.
Confidential. No judgement. [When John takes calls]
- Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, Law Society of NSW
- Over 30 years of courtroom experience
- Began as a prosecutor, then Legal Aid NSW on regional circuits
- Called to the NSW Bar in 2002
- Master of Forensic Mental Health, UNSW
What has happened?
Pick the closest match. Each page explains what happens next, what John does and what to bring to your first meeting.
I have been charged
A Court Attendance Notice, a court date, or a charge after a police interview.
Criminal chargesSomeone is in custody
Police have refused bail and the person is being held for court.
Bail and custodyI have been served with an AVO
An application for an apprehended violence order, made by police or by another person.
AVOsI have a drink driving charge
A positive breath or blood test, a refusal, or a licence suspended on the spot.
Drink drivingI tested positive to drugs while driving
A roadside drug test, a laboratory result, or a drug driving charge in the mail.
Drug drivingMy licence is at risk
Speeding, demerit point suspensions, and driving while suspended or disqualified.
Traffic and licence appealsI drive a truck for work
Fatigue, work diary, mass, speed and special category licence charges.
Heavy vehicle offencesMy child has been charged
Charges against young people aged 10 to 17 are usually heard in the Children's Court.
Young peopleMental health or disability is part of it
Some Local Court charges can be dealt with through a section 14 application instead of a plea.
Mental health and cognitive impairmentFacing a serious charge in the District or Supreme Court, or appealing a Local Court decision? Appeals and trials
Charged or under investigation? Start here.
- 1
Ask for legal advice before you answer questions
You can tell police you want to speak to a lawyer first. Stay polite and give your name and address if they ask for them.
- 2
Keep every piece of paper
Your Court Attendance Notice, bail papers, AVO application or penalty notice shows the charge, the court and the date.
- 3
Check the court and the date
Your first court date is usually a mention. If you miss it, the court can issue a warrant or make orders without you.
- 4
Call John before that date
Early advice shapes everything that follows, from bail to plea to sentence.
Which court is your matter in?
Your paperwork names the court. Pick it to see where it is, when it sits and what to expect on the day. John is based in Wagga Wagga and travels to courts across the Riverina.
Also on the circuits: Holbrook, Tumbarumba, Corowa and Finley (Albury circuit), Hillston (Griffith circuit).
- Wagga Wagga Local CourtLocal, Children's and District Court · John's home court
- Narrandera Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 99 km, about 1 hour 5 minutes via the Sturt Highway
- Cootamundra Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 90 km, about 1 hour 10 minutes via the Olympic Highway
- Gundagai Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 80 km, about 1 hour
- Tumut Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: about 105 km, around 1 hour 20 minutes
- Temora Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 86 km, about 1 hour via the Olympic Highway
- Young Local CourtLocal and Children's Court · From Wagga Wagga: 139 km, about 1 hour 45 minutes via the Olympic Highway
- Griffith Local CourtLocal and District Court · From Wagga Wagga: 186 km, about 2 hours 10 minutes
- Leeton Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 128 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes via the Sturt Highway
- Hay Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 268 km, about 2 hours 50 minutes via the Sturt Highway
- Deniliquin Local CourtLocal Court · From Wagga Wagga: 255 km, about 2 hours 50 minutes
- Albury Local CourtLocal, Children's and District Court · From Wagga Wagga: 129 km, about 1 hour 35 minutes via the Olympic Highway
Not on the list? John may still be able to help. Call 0429 452 225. All courts
Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, Law Society of NSWOne lawyer, from your first call to your last court date.
John has worked in criminal law for over 30 years. He began as a prosecutor in the Local and Children's Courts, then worked as a Legal Aid NSW solicitor on regional circuits. He was called to the NSW Bar in 2002 and has appeared as counsel in hundreds of trials in the District and Supreme Courts.
Today he acts as both solicitor and advocate in the Local, Children's and District Courts. The lawyer who gives you advice is the lawyer who stands up for you in court.
He holds a Master of Forensic Mental Health (with Excellence) from UNSW and has been a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal of NSW since 2021. That background matters when mental illness, cognitive impairment, disability or addiction is part of a case.
- Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, Law Society of NSW
- Over 30 years of courtroom and advocacy experience
- Began as a prosecutor in the Local and Children's Courts
- Legal Aid NSW solicitor on regional circuits
- Called to the NSW Bar in 2002
- Counsel in hundreds of District and Supreme Court trials
- Master of Forensic Mental Health (with Excellence), UNSW
- Member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal of NSW since 2021
What happens when you call
You get straight answers about your charge, your court date and what it will cost.
- 1
You call John
Tell him what has happened, the charge and your court date. [Is the first call free?]
- 2
A first meeting
In Wagga Wagga, or by phone or video if you are out of town. [Meeting options]
- 3
John gets the evidence
He reads the police facts and the brief, and works out what the prosecution has to prove.
- 4
Advice you can act on
Plead or defend, bail, your licence and the likely outcome, explained plainly, along with what it will cost.
- 5
John appears for you
At your court, from the first mention to the hearing or sentence.
When mental health, disability or addiction is part of the story
Many people who are charged are living with mental illness, cognitive impairment, an intellectual disability, a brain injury or addiction. In the Local Court, a section 14 application can see a charge dismissed on conditions such as a treatment plan, without a plea or a conviction, where a mental health or cognitive impairment is involved. Addiction on its own does not qualify, but it can matter at sentence.
John holds a Master of Forensic Mental Health from UNSW and has been a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal of NSW since 2021. He knows how to put the right reports in front of the court.
Mental health and cognitive impairment- What is a section 14 application?
- An application under the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 to have a Local Court charge dealt with outside the usual criminal process.
- What did it replace?
- Section 32 applications. The new law started on 27 March 2021.
- What evidence helps?
- Reports from a psychiatrist, psychologist or treating doctor, and a treatment or support plan.
What clients say
[Google review text]
[Matter type, for example drink driving]
[Google review text]
[Matter type, for example drink driving]
[Google review text]
[Matter type, for example drink driving]
What does a criminal lawyer cost?
It depends on the charge, the court and whether you plead guilty or defend the charge. John tells you the cost before any work starts.
Guilty pleas in the Local Court
[Fee approach for pleas, for example a fixed fee]
Defended hearings, trials and appeals
[Fee approach for defended matters]
Legal Aid: [Whether John accepts Legal Aid NSW grants]
Fees and Legal AidQuestions people ask
Talk to John about your matter.
Call now, or leave your number and the court, and John will call you back. [Call back timing]
0429 452 225jw@johnweir.com.auPO Box 469, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650