3 Defense Strategies Your Attorney May Use When You're Accused Of A Crime
If you've been accused of a crime, one of the first things you'll need to do is contact a criminal defense lawyer and tell them about your situation. They can help you formulate a plan to defend yourself in court. Whether or not you actually committed the crime you are being accused of, you deserve a strong defense. Chances are, your attorney will rely on one or more of these strategies to formulate that defense for you.
1. There's no proof of your guilt.
The police may insist that they believe that you committed the crime, and the plaintiff may argue the same. However, if your lawyer knows that they don't have any concrete evidence that you are the responsible party, they can simply argue that there's no proof of your guilt. The other side may bring up something up that they insist is evidence, but if your lawyer can demonstrate that it's not as strong of evidence as it seems, that works in your favor.
2. You acted in self-defense.
In this strategy, you and your lawyer openly admit that you did take the actions you're being accused of. But you argue that doing so was not a crime because you acted to defend yourself. This really only works in the case of violent crimes, although there have been times when it is used as a defense for cyber crimes and the like. For instance, maybe you stole your friend's login information and used their account to slander someone, but you did it in fear of that person slandering you. One could argue that this is self-defense, though not in the traditional way.
3. Witnesses are unreliable.
Maybe there is someone who is taking the stand and insisting that they saw you commit the time. In cases like this, the way your lawyer will often defend you is to argue that the witness is unreliable. Maybe they can find a conviction in their past that suggests they are not as honest as they seem. Or maybe they were once fired from their job due to dishonesty. If your lawyer can convince the judge not to listen to what the witness has to say, they will have a harder time convicting you.
The strategies above are some of the most common ones used in criminal court. Talk to your lawyer to learn which strategies they are going to use on your behalf.
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