Charged Of A Criminal Offense: What An Accused Should Do

Unfortunately, anyone can be falsely accused of a crime. Worse, the accusations are never dropped, and the defendant is judged guilty despite having done nothing wrong. When this unfortunately happens to you, the first step would be to call a lawyer and delegate the problem to a professional. After all, they know the law better, and will be able to advise you on what to do, what not to do, and what to say.

However, there might be other things you can do to make it easier for you and your lawyer. It is important that you take a pause, examine your situation, and see what you can do.

Also, be aware of your right to remain silent. No one should ever make the mistake of self-incriminating while frantically trying to defend themselves.

Remember: Anything you say can be used against you.

You could be the main suspect, but a criminal defense attorney knows how to deal with it. The expert will examine all aspects of the case and devise a strategy to combat the false charges and get you out of the predicament. You, on the other hand, can do your part by carefully choosing your next moves.

1. Don’t Panic

Before you start fighting with the party accusing you or police officers trying to detain you, first think about the gravity of the claims and the potential penalties you may face as a result.

You cannot assume that everyone else, including the police, judges, and jury, will believe you even if you are innocent. You might end up saying things you will regret later on. The people in charge will treat the situation with the utmost seriousness and will follow all applicable laws.

You can boost your chances of a successful case by maintaining a serious attitude, despite your innocence, and appraising the seriousness of the allegations and the resulting punishments.

2. Wait For Your Lawyer

When you’re served a warrant, your first reaction will be to understandably defend yourself. You might even start fighting and proclaiming your innocence to the officers. However, the best course of action is to remain calm and take no action at all.

A lawyer, a skilled attorney who knows how to manage such situations, is the only person who can assist you.

What you should be doing right after knowing your situation is to call a lawyer and let them decide on the best course of action. Your lawyer may choose to do nothing to see if the prosecution will even offer enough evidence to charge you. On the other hand, a witness may change their mind and recant their statement, proving their innocence.

It is possible that you will not be charged with a crime if you do nothing and wait for the prosecutor’s decision. Either way, your lawyer is an experienced professional who knows the law better than anyone. Trust them instead of going off on your own.

3. Gather Evidence

If you come across anything that would corroborate your innocence, such as a photograph, receipt, text messages, clothing, or even witnesses, make a note of it and collect as much proof as possible. Any evidence of your whereabouts at the time of the incident (alibis) can include things like GPS data and restaurant receipts.

If you can’t procure these pieces of evidence yourself, you should tell your attorney. You can inform them where to get the evidence—such as paperwork, CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts—so they can do the investigations for you.

Remember, good lawyers will do investigations themselves. So don’t miss out on important details. No matter how good of an investigator your lawyer is, some things can only be privy to you, and those might be the key to winning your case.