One of the worst situations you could ever find yourself in is getting charged for a crime you did not commit. With something like this, you often feel powerless and are terrified about the repercussions for something you didn’t do. It is important that you know what to do if you find yourself charged with a crime like this, as failing to act properly can result in your life changing forever. Here are some things that you can do should you find yourself getting charged when in reality you are innocent.
Hire a Lawyer
The first thing you are going to want to do is hire a lawyer to represent you and build a case that proves you are innocent. Sometimes you might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time or you simply fit the description of the person at the scene. In either case, a lawyer is going to help to clear your name to the best of their ability. With years of experience, they understand the law and know what to do in the courtroom. A Toronto criminal defence lawyer says that even if you are innocent, it takes more to clear your name than simply saying “you have the wrong guy”. You might be tempted to represent yourself because you didn’t commit the crime, but this is the wrong mindset.
As mentioned earlier, those who are found guilty even when they are innocent face permanent changes to their life and even end up in jail. These are things that you do not want happening to you, especially if you are innocent. Take no chances with something like this and get the legal representation you need to ensure that you are not found guilty of a crime that you did not commit.
Stay Quiet When Arrested
If you’ve ever watched a police TV show or movie, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the lines “you have the right to remain silent” and “anything you say can be used in court”. Regardless if you are innocent, this applies to you as well. If you say just one thing that makes you look guilty, it will be recorded and it will be brought up in the court case. What can you do to avoid this?
Simply keep quiet and let the cops detain you and do not answer any questions without your lawyer being present. You have the right to an attorney and you also have a right to not self-incriminate. If you are unsure what is happening and you don’t know what to do, simply sit there and wait. It might be painful to do so, especially knowing that you are innocent, but in some cases you might be doing much more harm than good by speaking out.
Understand the Real Consequences
Most of the time when people are charged with a crime they did not commit, they don’t take the charges or the consequences seriously because in their mind there is no way that they are going to be found guilty. The sad reality of the situation is that there have been many people who have been found guilty, over for them to be deemed innocent years later. In some situations, these people have sat in jail for the large majority of their life.
While it is completely normal to think that there is no way you are going to get charged, you still have to take everything seriously and prepare for the worst. If you slack and joke around, it is going to come back to bite you. The more proactive you are in dealing with things, the better your defence will be and the better your odds will be of winning the case and proving your innocence.
Comply With the Officers
When you are arrested, especially if you are innocent, you might want to fight back as your rights are being violated. It is definitely tempting to yell at the cops because you have done nothing wrong, but in this kind of situation, it is only going to make things worse. Not only are you going to be charged with the one offence, you are also going to be charged with failure to comply and possibly even resisting arrest.
You might find yourself in a position where you are proven innocent for the crime, but then found guilty for assaulting an officer during the arrest. These are not ideal situations. Along with that, complying with the officers right away makes them more likely to want to help you. Even if police officers are supposed to act without emotion, the reality of the situation is that they are human. If you can act accordingly, they might be more inclined to believe you.
Do Not Speak With Anyone About the Arrest
It can be tempting to go and run to your family and friends and tell them all about what is happening and how they need to help you out. Unfortunately, this is not recommended as just like you might self-incriminate talking to the cops, you might self-incriminate here. The justice system has the right to question anyone about your actions including what you did and said afterwards. If you have said something to a family member or a friend, they could find themselves on the stand being forced to testify. In some areas, the only person who is exempt from this is your spouse, but even then we don’t recommend speaking to anyone about this besides your lawyer. It is the best way to ensure that your case goes as smoothly as possible and you get the outcome that you are looking for.
These are all things that you should look to do should you find yourself facing charges for a crime that you did not commit. Treat this as a real case and don’t for one second think it is going to be an easy victory. You will have to provide solid evidence that you were innocent. Once you have finally been cleared of everything, you may now talk to people about what happened and even seek justice for the violation of rights. How do you plan on clearing your name?