A criminal charge can really bring anyone down and it comes with a great deal of uncertainty regarding one’s future. Cases can go wrong in court even for perfectly innocent people which is why an excellent criminal attorney is a blessing to have on your side. Here are a few tips to build your criminal defense case flawlessly to get the best possible outcome.
- Hire The Best Lawyer You Can Afford
Search locally for a criminal defense lawyer that can help you navigate the world of legal proceedings. Your lawyer does not need to be the one with the highest rate, but he/she should have ample experience in courts, exceptional knowledge of the law and precedent, and should be accessible with a good track record.
- Your Side Of The Story
Each event has two sides. The entire point of there being a ‘defense’ is that the court is interested in getting to the truth by exploring both perspectives available to them. If you’ve hired a great lawyer they will know how to craft the story in your favor and deliver it in the most convincing words.
- Evidence
As any criminal attorney will tell you, evidence can make or break a case. The job of the criminal defense lawyer in this situation is two-fold. He/she will encourage you to divulge all the information you know (including what you have witnessed etc) as well as other types of evidence such as clothing, written letters, electronic communication, and so forth, depending on the specifics of the case.
Secondly, the attorney will preempt the evidence the state or opposing counsel will use against you and will prepare a defense against those propositions. If you’ve hired a lawyer with a lot of local experience such as a Jacksonville criminal lawyer, they will be able to ascertain the type of evidence that will hold up strongly in courts such as tape recordings, videos, crime photographs, and blood or fingerprint samples.
- Summoning Witnesses
One of the most important parts of your defense is the summoning of witnesses. Your attorney will guide you in this regard and he/she may suggest summoning expert witnesses that help in establishing your character in a positive light like psychologists or behavioral experts. Later down the line, this evaluation can result in certain rights being returned to you such as being able to purchase and keep firearms.
Witnesses are oftentimes professionals regarded highly in their respective fields that evaluate various strains of evidence and present their opinion under oath and they can have a powerful effect on the jury and its subsequent decision.