When you are charged with a crime and decide not to take a plea bargain, you can expect the case to go to trial. To win at trial, your lawyer must be able to prove that you did not commit the crime, or he or she must at least have to place enough reasonable doubt in the mind of the court that they cannot convict you of the crime in question. To do this, your lawyer will develop a strategy for defending you, and here are several things your lawyer will do as he or she creates the defense strategy
Determine how you will plead
The first detail your lawyer will discuss with you is how you will plead. There are several different options for this, and the way you plead will dictate the strategy your lawyer creates to defend you. For example, if you want to plead guilty to the crime, your lawyer's strategy may involve emphasizing your honesty in the case and your remorse for the crime. This may cause the court to offer leniency to you.
Evaluate all the evidence available
If you are planning on pleading not guilty, your lawyer will begin evaluating all the evidence available from the case. The purpose of this is to see what evidence the prosecution will use against you, and this will help the lawyer know what strategies to develop to fight what the prosecution uses against you.
Develop a reasonable story to stick with
After fully evaluating all the evidence, your lawyer will create a timeline that includes an entire story that explains what really happened during the time of the crime. The lawyer will emphasize details that highlight your innocence, such as the details from your alibis. Your lawyer will try to prove that there is no way you could have committed the crime, and the story the lawyer uses will include many details that back this up.
Have answers for every question
The other key part of the defense strategy your lawyer develops involves having an answer for every question. If there is a fingerprint from you at the crime scene, your lawyer will need a good reason that this was there. If you have no alibi for the crime, your lawyer will need to show evidence that there was no way you could have been at the crime scene when the crime took place. Criminal lawyers are good at predicting the questions the prosecution will present, and they will always make sure they have reasonable answers for them.
These are some of the things your lawyer will work on when preparing for your criminal trial. If you have questions or need to hire a lawyer, contact a criminal law firm such as Jacobs & Barbone P A today.
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