Getting in trouble with the law is never fun and having to appear in court can be expensive. You have to pay legal fees, court fees and lawyer fees and that can add up to an arm and a leg. So what should you do after you’ve been accused of a crime? Know the process and get a lawyer who can walk you through it.
There are several different types of defenses to use in criminal cases and knowing which one best suites your case can be a difficult decision. Some of the most common defenses used in criminal cases are: pleading innocent, guilty with circumstances, entrapment and insanity.
I’m Innocent
In the United States the law states that all men are innocent until proven guilty, which means that your guilt must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. A prosecutor must prove your guilt to the judge and jury with absolute certainty before you can be found guilty. This is where pleading the fifth or an alibi can truly exonerate you from any and all charges.
By pleading the fifth, you are exercising your right to remain silent so as not to add anything that the prosecutor could possibly use to entrap you with. This can be a good strategy at times, but one thing that is always a great defense when truly innocent is having a solid alibi. An alibi proves that you could not have committed the crime because you were in another location at the time. This puts reasonable doubt on the prosecutor’s case, which then proves your innocence if your alibi checks out.
I did it, but it was warranted
This type of representation usually pertains to self-defense cases. If self-defense is proven all charges can be dropped, but the retaliation must be proven within reason. For instance if someone threatened to punch you and you in turn shot them, your self-defense plea would be thrown out of court.
Insanity
This type of defense is rarely used, because it is extremely difficult to prove. To prove insanity you must have a psychiatrist speak on behalf of your insane mental state at the time the crime was committed. You must also provide the jury with a compelling story to assure them that you in fact weren’t in the right mental state at the time the crime was committed. Again this defense isn’t typically used and if found insane you will be admitted to a mental institution and not set free.
Entrapment
Another difficult defense to use, entrapment exists on the basis that the government should not force its citizens into committing crimes. This type of defense is most commonly used in prostitution and drug related cases. However if the judge or jury believes that you were predisposed to the crime, then the defense won’t work.
Rockwall Criminal Defense Attorney
In Rockwall rape and theft are issues whose numbers surpass that of the national average, which means there are a lot of people out there who need a knowledgeable and local Rockwall criminal defense attorney. Brian Corrigan is your Rockwall criminal defense attorney. Corrigan has been practicing law for over 10 years in Rockwall and he knows a criminal defense is difficult to compose and is here to help prove your innocence. Rockwall wants to keep its crime rates low and will stop at nothing with your criminal cases. So have a good criminal defense and have a great Rockwall criminal defense attorney. Contact Rockwall criminal defense attorney Brian Corrigan today.