Bankruptcy

If you have been arrested and charged with a crime, one of the first thoughts you may have is how you are going to defend yourself from a guilty verdict. There are various types of criminal defenses that may be used to protect you depending on your case from theft to even potential criminal charges regarding bankruptcy. Criminal defense is a strategic argument which aims to challenge the strength and validity of the prosecution’s accusations. The prosecution is the opposing party who is trying to show beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty of the crime. As a criminal defense lawyer explains below, here are possible strategies that may be used in your criminal defense case.

Innocence

One of the most straightforward defenses to criminal accusations is innocence. This defense is used when you ultimately just did not commit the crime. The prosecution has to prove that each element of the crime was committed by you. Through the innocence approach, you can offer documents, testimony, and other forms of evidence to support your side of the story and show flaws in the prosecution’s claims.

Self Defense

For crimes such as battery, assault, and murder, the self-defense strategy may be used. Self-defense is a way to explain why the acts are justified, since they were in response to the threat coming from the other party. The degree of force used must have been proportionate and reasonable. Similar to self-defense, you may have been acting in protection of a family member, spouse, child, or stranger when using force against a threatening person.

Insanity

The insanity defense is an approach that you may have heard of on tv show courtroom dramas, but it is actually used quite rarely. This is because the accused will have to show beyond a reasonable doubt that they were affected by a mental disease or defect when the crime was committed. Insanity means that the accused was unable to differentiate between wrong and right, or that the accused suffered from an irresistible impulse to commit the crime. So even if the person was aware that what they were doing was wrong, they were unable to stop.

Alibi

The alibi strategy can be one of the most compelling defenses when charged with a crime. To establish an alibi, you have to show that you were not at the location at all or were not present at the time it occurred, and therefore could not have committed the crime. With a reliable and difficult to refute alibi, it can greatly increase your odds of being acquitted of the charges. The alibi defense is viewed as a valid defense by the court.

There are numerous other defense strategies that can be used for a criminal case. Being arrested and facing the repercussions for a guilty verdict can be overwhelming, which is why seeking reputable guidance from a legal team familiar with handling cases like these is imperative to the outcome, according to our friends at the Law Group of Iowa. As someone who may be facing a criminal charge, it’s only understandable that you would have questions and concerns for your future, so getting started now by recruiting help is imperative.