If you are charged with a crime, the burden of proof falls on the prosecution to prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This becomes a lot harder to do if you put as much effort into building a strong defense as they do building a case against you. But how can you go about building a strong defense in your case? In today’s blog, we share four tips for building a strong criminal defense to help you avoid a guilty verdict.
How To Build A Strong Criminal Defense
If you are charged with a crime, here’s four things you’ll want to do to help build a strong defense to counter the claims made by the prosecution.
1. Collect Evidence – Do whatever you can to preserve evidence or make it easier to create a defense for your case. Get witness contact information of people who can verify your claims, take pictures of the scene and make sure your lawyer has access to any information that will serve to help your case. You don’t want to just deny the claims made by the prosecution, you want to go on the offensive, and having evidence that supports your version of events will really help with that.
2. Consult With An Expert – Having a lawyer by your side is arguably the best thing you can do to build a strong criminal defense strategy. They’ll be able to look at all the evidence, prepare for what the prosecution will likely say and develop a narrative that counters all their claims. A lawyer will have decades of experience helping people in similar situations, so don’t try to go up against the prosecution on your own. Let a lawyer take the lead in building your defense.
3. Stay Quiet – Sometimes the best thing you can do for your defense is to ensure you don’t give anything to the prosecution that can serve to help their case. Don’t try to talk your way out of a DWI and give the prosecution information about your drinking and driving habits that night, and don’t offer up any more detail than is needed during an interaction with police. Remember, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, so the less you give them to work with, the stronger your defense will be simply because their arguments will be weaker.
4. Know The Law – Again, this aspect is a lot easier if you have a lawyer by your side. Not only is it important to know the law surrounding the crime that you’re being with, but you also need to know basic legal procedures and the due process laws that protect every citizen. You may be guilty of the crime, but if police violated your rights or conducted an unconstitutional search during the incident, you may be able to have the charges dismissed, because at the end of the day the ends don’t justify the means. Police need to follow due process and uphold the constitutional rights of every citizen, which is why you need to know all the ways you can challenge your case.
If you want help with these four aspects, or you want assistance planning your criminal defense, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
