If you have been charged with a crime in the State of Virginia, you may have a million thoughts running through your head. One of the first things that may come to mind is whether you will be able to defend yourself against the charges. It is important to keep in mind that numerous people who have faced criminal charges have had their charges dropped or reduced significantly and have gone on to live successful lives.
In criminal cases, the prosecutor will have to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in order to convict you. The legal system in the United States is based on the basic principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” This means that you are protected by a legal presumption of innocence. You are not required to prove your innocence, but instead it is the prosecutor’s responsibility to prove your guilt.
While every case is different, there are some common defenses that people use when they are charged with a crime. If you deny any wrongdoing, you may be able to show that there was no way you could have committed the crime. An alibi can help prove that you were nowhere near the crime scene when the incident occurred.
Another criminal defense option is to say that while you did commit the act, you should not be held criminally responsible. For example, if you are charged with assault, self-defense may be a valid defense to show that you were in fact the victim, not the aggressor. If you raise the defense of self-defense, the prosecution will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you did not have a reasonable belief of physical harm, and that the self-defense was not necessary.
Source: FindLaw, “Defending Yourself Against a Criminal Charge,” accessed on April 20, 2015
Post Type: TOPICAL
Anchor Text: criminal defense
Keywords: criminal charges
Primary Target URL: /Criminal-Defense/
Additional Resources:
