You must follow a particular set of steps when officials charge you with a crime. These are the same whether you are responsible for a petty misdemeanor or drunk driving.
During your trial, you will fight your district court’s prosecutor. Therefore, you need to know what goes into a strong defense. There are many steps to this. Here are the most important.
Craft a case narrative
While the state will need hard evidence that you are guilty, your case requires a strong narrative. Looking back on your court’s resources, you will see jurors like strong defense narratives. This step means you do not have to rely on the prosecutor’s inability to deliver hard evidence to convince a juror to return a not-guilty verdict.
Collect evidence
As you know, prosecutors must collect evidence to support their cases. However, you can strengthen your case in the discovery period by getting more evidence. Hiring a good investigator might be a wise decision. Take the time to visit your crime scene, interview witnesses and get any other evidence that might help.
Know the law
Often, defenses win or lose cases because they know the law well. Criminal codes are subtle, and prosecutors must prove, without a doubt, that you violate every aspect of the law. Learning these subtleties can allow you to base your defense on one part of the law rather than the entire case against you. For example, if you took a purse from someone, you could argue that you avoided using force.
These are the next steps you should take to strengthen your defense case. Get started now to have the best chances of receiving a not-guilty verdict.
