If you’ve recently been charged with a criminal offense, then you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. You may be trying to come to terms with the realities of your arrest and the allegations levied against you, but you might also find yourself concerned about what your criminal case means for your future. That’s understandable given the gravity of the situation. After all, a criminal conviction can lead to incarceration, damage to your reputation, the loss of employment, a haunting criminal record and a negative impact on your ability to spend time with your children.
With so much weighing down on you, it’s understandable to be uncertain about your next steps. But you can’t let fear paralyze you into inaction. Instead, you should get to work building a criminal defense strategy that seeks to aggressively protect your future and your best interests. But how do you go about doing that? Let’s take a closer look.
There’s a lot to do when you build a criminal defense. But don’t get overwhelmed by the process. As you start to build the framework for your defense arguments, be sure to take the following initial steps:
- Read and understand the probable cause affidavit: Before charges can be brought against you, the police will have to submit a probable cause affidavit to the prosecutor’s office. By reading this document, you’ll gain a better idea of what crime you’re accused of committing and the evidence that the prosecution is relying upon to build its case. This will give you direction as far as how to develop your criminal defense.
- Engage in discovery: Discovery is the process of learning information from the opposing party. It includes gathering documentation held by your opponent as well as deposing witnesses who plan to testify for the prosecution. Thorough discovery will not only give you a better idea of where the prosecution is going with its case. It’ll also help you lock in witness accounts so that you can later use those statements against witnesses at trial if their testimony differs. Attacking credibility like this can make a huge difference in how the jury views the evidence presented by the prosecution.
- Keep quiet: Far too many defendants wind up convicted because of their own mistakes, many of which include discussing the case with people they thought they could trust. The truth of the matter, though, is that the prosecution can subpoena your family members and friends to testify against you. So, you need to watch what you say, otherwise it’ll likely come out in court. If you need to talk about your case, then it’s best to do so with your attorney since your statements to them are protected by attorney-client privilege.
- Research the law: This is something with which your attorney can assist, but it’s helpful for you to have a basic understanding of how the law applies in your unique set of circumstances. By discussing relevant statutory and caselaw applicable to your case, you can play an active role in the development of your criminal defense and make the informed decisions that you think are right for you and your future.
Are you ready to fight to protect your future?
If you are, then now is the time to get to work building your criminal defense. You need to be as thorough as possible here, too, so that you don’t miss a criminal defense opportunity that could make all the difference in your case. If you have questions about the best way to approach your case, then now is the time to reach out for any guidance that you may need along the way.