Designing a strong defense against criminal charges takes time and effort. Your defense strategy will slowly emerge as your attorney uncovers more about your particular case and how prosecutors plan to act against you. Criminal defense strategies vary from case to case depending on a number of factors, including how the defendant acts and responds to questioning. In this blog, we break down the core aspects of building a strong legal defense strategy.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Understanding your legal rights is a huge part of coming up with your criminal defense strategy. Your lawyer should be able to explain if your rights were violated at the time of your arrest. For example, if you were arrested but not read your Miranda rights, anything you said to law enforcement officers may be inadmissible at trial. This can become a central piece of your legal strategy and the focus of your defense.
UNDERSTAND THE CHARGES AGAINST YOU
You should try to fully grasp the consequences of the charges against you. Whether you will be charged with a felony or misdemeanor is usually decided by the prosecution in criminal cases. Because felonies tend to have harsher punishments, you should adequately prepare for all possible outcomes. You can consult with your attorney about how your civil rights might be affected by what you are being charged with.
EVALUATE ALL OPTIONS
Sometimes it is best to vigorously defend against the charges that have been levied against you, but other times, it might be in your best interest to work in good confidence with the prosecution to have your charges possibly reduced. Either way, it’s important to figure out all available sentencing options and determine how they might impact your defense strategy. Once your attorney decides on a defense strategy, any and every piece of information you can provide about the event in question can help in court.
Do you need help building a strong criminal defense strategy? Contact our Omaha team of criminal defense attorneys to learn how we can assist you today.
