Charges · Uttering threats · Ontario
What happens after an uttering threats charge in Ontario?
What it means, what usually happens next, and what to bring to the first call.
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In short
- Uttering threats means the police say you threatened to hurt someone, damage property or harm an animal — in person, by text or online.
- The offence turns on the words themselves and whether they were meant to be taken seriously. Whether anything happened afterwards is not part of the charge.
- Release with conditions, or a bail hearing if it is tied to a domestic situation.
What usually happens next
- First contact
A report to police Most threats charges start with a complaint about something said in person, by phone, by text or online. Police usually take a statement and may ask for screenshots or recordings.
- First hours
Arrest, or a call to come in Police may arrest at the scene or ask the person to attend the station. There is a right to speak to a lawyer privately, and police must say so.
- At the station
Messages are the evidence Texts, posts and voicemails are often the main evidence. Police generally need a warrant or another legal reason to search a phone.
- A few hours in
Released with conditions, or held Many threats charges are released with papers. When the threat involved a partner, a weapon or a past record, a bail hearing is more likely.
- From signing
No-contact conditions Conditions commonly bar contact with the person threatened, including by text, social media or through friends, and may ban weapons. They apply once they are signed.
What should you bring to the first call?
What do we see with uttering threats charges?
Most of these charges come from a message: a text, a post, something said in an argument and repeated to police. The first question on the call is what exactly was written or said, because the words are the whole case. Then the release conditions — often no contact with the person named. Someone answers at any hour; the file opens while you talk.
What do people ask about uttering threats charges?
What usually happens after the charge?
First court date in 4–6 weeks; disclosure includes the messages; many first charges resolve without trial.
Do I have to talk to the police?
No — a person does not have to answer police questions, whether that’s in person, at a station, or over the phone. You can confirm identifying information if asked, but you’re not required to explain, discuss the events, or answer follow-up questions.
What should I bring?
Bring every paper the police gave you (release order, undertaking, appearance notice); photo ID; the names of anyone who saw what happened; the full message thread, both directions.
Who prosecutes this charge in Ontario?
In Ontario, a Crown attorney from Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General prosecutes this charge, and the case starts in the Ontario Court of Justice. Jury trials in Ontario are held in the Superior Court of Justice.
Is there a diversion program in Ontario?
Ontario’s Crown Prosecution Manual names the Direct Accountability Program, in place in most Ontario jurisdictions, as one community justice program. In Ontario the prosecutor decides whether a case is referred, and only where there is a reasonable prospect of conviction. A person in it must accept responsibility for what led to the charge and be prepared to make meaningful amends.
Who speaks for the prosecution at a bail hearing in Ontario?
Most bail hearings in Ontario are held in the Ontario Court of Justice, with a Crown attorney speaking for the prosecution.
Sources
- Criminal Code (Canada), s. 264.1, accessed September 22, 2026
- Ontario Court of Justice, accessed September 22, 2026
- Steps to Justice (CLEO), accessed September 22, 2026
- Ontario Crown Prosecution Manual — D. 4 Community Justice Programs for Adults, accessed September 22, 2026
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