Learning About Defenses For Criminal Charges
If you are facing criminal charges, you probably want to know what the next steps are going to be. Is there any chance these charges were totally false? Do you have a decent defense and want to find an attorney who will fight on your behalf? Remember, when facing criminal charges, the prosecution must show that, beyond a “reasonable doubt,” you are guilty of the charges. That said, it does not mean you sit back and hope that they do not come up with anything. Instead, you may want to begin looking for a criminal defense attorney who is familiar with the kind of charges you are facing and can argue against these charges.
The Different Defenses to Criminal Charges
If you are hoping to learn more about defending yourself against criminal charges, you may want to find an attorney, like a Rockville, Maryland criminal defense lawyer from a law firm like The Law Office of Daniel J. Wright.
- Stating you are innocent. Your attorney may want you to go the route of stating that you are totally innocent of the crime. When this is the case, you will need to come up with evidence that shows you were not involved in the crime or that there was no crime to begin with. You may have ticket stubs showing you were not at the scene of the crime, witness statements, or you may argue that no crime occurred because your version of what happened is different than the prosecution’s version.
- It was self-defense. With this defense, you may be admitting to harming another person but you are claiming self-defense. This means that you reasonably believed the other person involved was going to harm you or was trying to harm you. This means you had the right to protect yourself and that you used reasonable force to stop the other person.
- You plead the insanity defense. This does not happen often and can be difficult to prove. In instances where a person does not have the mental capacity to control their behavior, a judge and jury may determine that they should not be criminally punished. The person pleading insanity will likely have many psychologists and psychiatrists looking into their life and determining whether they would be better off in a mental institution instead of prison.
If you are facing criminal charges and are hoping to speak with an attorney about your situation, contact a local attorney to see how they can help you.