How Do Innocent Defendants Handle Criminal Charges Against Them?
While a highly unfortunate situation, sometimes innocent defendants find themselves facing criminal charges. Leaving your fate to a trial is not only expensive and stressful, but risky as well. What many individuals in this unfortunate case may not know is there are other ways to avoid facing conviction in addition to going to trial. Here, criminal defense attorney Jeffrey Scholnick explains how innocent defendants can handle criminal charges against them.
Police Reports May Contain Imprecise Information
Before any major decisions are made, the police report should be checked for accuracy. Sometimes, a police report may not include all of the important details of the case or hold some inaccuracy due to witness misstatements or factual errors. Due to the nature of witness statements and limited factual information, the contents of a police report do not always mean the case is going straight to trial. Waiting for the details of the police report to be proven by both the defense and the prosecution may clear up inaccurate or false witness statements or incident details.
Communication Can Clear Up the Situation
It is beneficial to hire a criminal defense attorney, such as Jeffrey Scholnick, early on in the investigation, as he can attempt to discuss the details of the case with the prosecution before a filing decision is made. Clear communication between the opposing sides about the details of the case can help alleviate confusion and potentially mitigate the situation before the case has to go to court.
A Dismissal May Be an Option
After a client meeting is completed and the essential facts of the case are collected, your defense attorney can decide whether or not to discuss with the prosecution the option of a dismissal. In a dismissal, the prosecution decides to drop the charges in the event that there is not enough valid or admissible information regarding the incident to press charges.
In-Court Proceedings May End the Case
In some instances, depending on the severity of the case, waiting out a preliminary hearing may be the best option. If the defense wins a pretrial motion or preliminary hearing, the prosecution may not decide to refile. There are a variety of instances where in-court proceedings may conclude a case.
Being Patient May Be the Best Decision
While the best legal decisions to make vary on a case-by-case basis, there may be instances where allowing your case to go to trial may be the best option, as it can take an extensive amount of time for the prosecution to investigate the case and realize that there is inaccurate or insufficient evidence to prove the defendant’s guilt. Because you are innocent until proven guilty, you may have to trust that, with the help of an experienced defense attorney, your innocence will be proven.
Consult an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney Today
While a stressful and unwanted situation, being wrongly accused of a crime does not automatically mean you are going to be convicted. By hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney, such as attorney Jeffrey Scholnick, to represent you in your case, the inaccurate charges placed against you can be mitigated even before a trial may take place. If you have been wrongly convicted of a crime and seek representation from a dedicated criminal defense attorney to prove your innocence, contact The Law Offices of Jeffrey Scholnick today.