Defending Against Criminal Charges: Strategies and Tactics

Facing criminal charges is a scary experience, especially if you are innocent of what you are being accused of. From understanding the charges to finding a lawyer, to heading to trial, there are a lot of things to prepare for. If you find yourself entangled with the law and need help, use this as a guide to help you develop strategies and tactics in and out of the courtroom.

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Understanding the Charges

Reviewing the Accusations

Take the time early on to analyze the charges against you and the legal statutes involved. This will help you fully understand what you are going up against and start to build a case for yourself. If you know you are innocent, then having a deep understanding of the specific criminal charges you are dealing with will help you throughout the whole process of trying to get the charges dropped. An informed accused person is better off than someone who feels hopeless in this kind of situation.

Assessing Evidence

If you are aware of any evidence that is being put against you, scrutinize it to see where there are holes in the story. Pieces of evidence like witness statements and police reports could be fabricated or altered due to all kinds of factors like bribery and misremembered information. With access to this evidence, you will know what kinds of statements and evidence you need to bring forward to prove the opposite point.

Securing Experienced Legal Representation

From the get-go, you will need to find a good attorney who will work tirelessly to get you justice. To find a good lawyer, you should begin your search online, as any reputable law firm will have an informative website, full of important information about their team of lawyers. Criminal defense law firms like Tad Nelson & Associates specialize in working with people who have been accused of criminal charges and are looking to get off or at least get a reduced sentence. It is important to look specifically for criminal defense lawyers because they will have to most experience when it comes to this kind of case.

Building a Defense

Establishing an Alibi

If you are accused of a crime and you are absolutely sure you did not do it because you were not in the location where the crime occurred, then you have to be able to provide a solid alibi. An alibi is a piece of evidence that proves that you were in a certain place at a certain time that is totally different from where the crime took place. You can get statements from friends or family you were with that day to prove you were with them or use phone tracking records or time-stamped photographs to further prove that you couldn’t have been where the crime took place and the time it took place.

Self Defense

If your case revolves around an event that occurs where you need to take action in self-defense, this can become very complicated. Your defense team will work with you to help you compile a clear statement about the events leading up to the crime to prove without a doubt that you had no other option but to defend yourself.

Mistaken Identity

This is something that occurs often when there are faulty witness statements, especially if a crime happened at night when visibility was limited. Witnesses who come forward usually do so because they want to help the investigation, but it is very common that they actually misidentify the perpetrator of the crime, leading to someone being falsely accused. If this is the situation you find yourself in, then your alibi and conflicting witness statements will be essential when building your defense.

Negotiating Plea Bargains

Sometimes, as it gets closer to a trial, the accused can choose to plead guilty to the crime in order to receive reduced charges. This is the only viable option for those who committed the crime and just want to serve as little time as possible.

Presenting Character Evidence

Another tactic to try to get a not guilty verdict is to bring in friends and family to testify to your good character. This employs the sympathy of the jury and can at least get you a reduced sentence if not allow you to walk away from the trial with all charges dropped.

When preparing for a trial, it is important to brace yourself for any outcome, good or bad, because it could go either way. Do your best to work with your lawyers and give them as many details as you can about your life and the events that led to the criminal charges. The more your defense team knows, the better they can build a case to hopefully get the charges dropped.