What are the common defenses that criminal defendants raise?

In all states, in order to convict a suspect of a crime and thereby brand them a criminal, prosecutors are required to prove beyond a reason of doubt that the suspect is in fact guilty of his or her charges. When it comes to being charged with a crime such as facing a DUI charge, they have a few options.

They could plead no contest, plead guilty, or plead not guilty and consequently challenge their charges and defend themselves, say notable Broward, FL criminal defense lawyers. 

There are many defense strategies that criminal defense lawyers and criminal defendants use in order to prove their innocence and thereby beat their charges and retain their freedom.

Defenses range from out-right denial where the defendant simply challenges the charges by saying he or she did not do it, to defenses where the defendant may agree to the crime but claim that they did in for self-protection. In some cases the defendant may even plead innocent on the basis that they are clinically insane and hence their actions are not entirely within their control.

Have you seen the movie The Dark Knight, which is Batman II (just forget that Maggie Gyllenhaal was in this movie)? The antagonist of this movie was the Joker who ended up and who already had killed a lot of people. You could say the Joker was insane but should someone like this be coddled by the system and not be truly punished? Most Americans would probably say no, the Joker or anyone even close to this type of evil needs to be put down.  

This should be legal but it is not. If you are caught with illegal narcotics, prepare to have some charges filed against you. 

Denying the Crime – I did not do it Defense

The most popular defense strategy as per Florida criminal defense attorneys is the “I did not do it” defense where the suspect simply says they never did what they have been accused of doing and is therefore innocent until proven guilty. In cases where the defendant truly did not commit the crime, defense lawyers agree that this is the most effective defense strategy as it puts the ball in the prosecution’s court. They simply cannot conclusively prove something that never actually happened.

If you need legal help, you have an outlet and an answer. This website (Criminal-Defense.USAttorneys.com) will enable you to find the legal help you need. Legal help is right around the virtual corner.

The Alibi Defense

Further strengthening a defendants “I did not do it” defense would be the alibi defense where the defendant or his or her defense legal counselor is able to prove or show that he or she was present elsewhere on the date/time that the crime occurred.

When a defendant uses the alibi defense, not only does the prosecution have to prove beyond doubt that the defendant committed the crime but they will also have to disprove or explain the invalidity of the alibi defense put forth by the defendant, which makes it all the more difficult for them to convict the suspect. You will need a wise and strong Broward, FL criminal defense lawyer to be successful with this strategy. 

Self Defense

In cases of battery or assault, the defendant can always claim to have attacked in order to protect themselves from imminent danger. The law varies slightly from state to state when it comes to when you can and cannot legally attack in self-defense. If it is found that your attack was genuinely in self-defense, then the charges will be dropped.

You want to defend yourself if you are charged with a crime. You should not be stuck with all the charges that may be tossed at you. You may do some time though no matter what, depending on the case. But less time being locked up is better than more time in the slammer.  

In the movie Criminal when Jericho Stewart kills Xavier Heimdahl, that was in self-defense considering Xavier was planning on blowing up a bunch of people, including Jericho himself, and lots more after that.

If you have been charged with crime then it is important that you consult a Florida criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Only a marvelous legal counselor will be able to help you disprove the prosecution’s allegations and help you retain your freedom.

Contact us if you have any questions.