There are a lot of concerns that you probably have when you are charged with a criminal offense. How will this affect my family? How will it impact my work life? Will this take time away from my other essential tasks and responsibilities? And most important, how can I beat this charge and protect my innocence? While you may not have tons of control over many aspects of the criminal justice system, your choices and actions have a great impact on your ability to win your case. Here are three things that can increase your chances of beating a criminal charge.
Don’t Talk Without a Lawyer
The first thing that you can do to increase your chances of beating a criminal charge is to make sure you never talk without a lawyer. One of your rights is to have the presence of your lawyer whenever you are being questioned, and you should absolutely utilize that right every chance you get. Your lawyer understands exactly what types of questions you are not required to answer and can help you make sure you don’t share too much information with the prosecution. Talking to others without your lawyer is simply asking for trouble and offering free help to your prosecution.
Gather Witnesses
The next thing that you can do to increase your chances of beating a criminal charge is to gather witnesses to exonerate you. Despite the proven accuracy and reliability issues that come up with eyewitness testimony, eyewitness testimony is incredibly persuasive to juries. Character statements can help you in a criminal trial more so than in other types of cases. A character statement or testimony is where a witness comes to testify to the positive traits of a person’s character and their reputation. Having people come to speak well of you in a criminal case can make the jury view you as someone unlikely to commit a crime.
Be On Time to Court Dates
The final thing that can always help you increase your chances of beating a criminal charge is to be on time to all your court dates. Your punctuality and professionalism are two more aspects of your character that can make a huge impression on the judge and the jury in your trial in a very good way. Being late to court communicates a certain lack of care and disdain for the court that will not work in your favor.
Getting the best outcome from your criminal trial can feel like a challenging and nearly impossible puzzle. But knowing how to handle yourself and your rights can help immensely. Follow these three pieces of advice to increase your chances of beating a criminal charge in court.
Check out this article on common situations that can land you in civil court!
