Even if the charge is false, if you’ve been charged with a crime, you should always ensure you’re taking the proper steps to protect your rights.
And while it’s entirely within your rights to represent yourself, having a professional by your side who knows just how intricate the law is can help you navigate your situation without incriminating yourself for a crime you didn’t commit.
It isn’t unheard of for the justice system to fail the innocent. However, hiring an experienced lawyer on your side can help you fight false charges that threaten your freedom.
Why Would I Be Falsely Accused?
There are multiple reasons you could be accused of a crime, even if you didn’t commit one. These reasons can range from accidental accusations to malicious ones. Being familiar with the reasons why you could be charged with a crime incorrectly can help you in your process of fighting it. Let’s take a look at some of the circumstances in which one might be falsely accused of a crime.
- Mistaken Identity: The person making the accusation may mistake you for the person who committed the crime
- Misrecollection: The person made some kind of error while recalling the details of a crime to detectives or police
- Malicious False Accusations: The accuser lies purposefully to law enforcement that a person committed a crime
- Official Misconduct: There is an abuse of power or another type of misconduct committed by law enforcement. This might take the form of leading questions, where a witness may create false memories at the behest of an officer’s probing.
- Misleading Forensic Evidence: An expert may exaggerate claims to make their statements more impactful, thus incriminating you in a crime
- Misidentifications: Witnesses tend to select a person in a police lineup who looks most like their memory suggests the suspect. It’s often referred to as the “best guess problem” since they can’t always say with 100% certainty who committed the crime.
Why Would Someone Make a False Accusation?
The first question you may ask yourself when facing the consequences that come with a false accusation is simple — Why?
Someone could attack your character maliciously for multiple reasons. This happens surprisingly often in family law disputes, where one parent aims to paint the other as criminal to get better favor from a judge in a custody battle.
Whatever the reason is, you have a way to be able to fight back, and in the case of many malicious false accusations, you may have legal recourse to sue.
Before you go about suing for slander or libel, though, you need to ensure you’re protected.
What Can a Lawyer Do For Me If I Am Falsely accused?
An experienced criminal defense lawyer is your best bet in these situations to ensure your case is presented truthfully and without misleading evidence.
In a situation where an expert is exaggerating evidence, your lawyer can assist in bringing in a second expert to counter their testimony. A lawyer can also help discern what evidence could be misleading or false and protect you from hostile accusers and witnesses.
At the very least, a lawyer can discuss errors in the criminal case with the prosecutor team to see if there was a simple misunderstanding from the very beginning. Lawyers know the jargon and confusing processes in the court of law and help keep your record clear.
What Is A Pre-File Investigation?
Lawyers in cases like this will often conduct what’s called a pre-file investigation, where the lawyer will investigate allegations behind a crime before an actual criminal charge is filed.
This stage lets your lawyer find evidence that helps paint you in a favorable light to the judge and jury. For example, your lawyer can interview witnesses, find new witnesses to testify, and cast doubt on the credibility of an accuser.
Why may they question the credibility of an accuser? Take, for instance, a situation where you and your partner faced a messy breakup, and your ex comes at you with accusations of abuse that cause you to lose your job and is now charging you with assault. As a witness, they have called their best friend.
While this might be an overwhelming situation to find yourself in, your lawyer can help call upon others who witnessed your relationship firsthand. Your lawyer may even suggest showing images from social media of the two of you together to the judge or jury to establish the true merit behind your relationship.
Alone, without a lawyer, you may never think of these things, especially when faced with an accusation that could potentially ruin your life.
Jeremy Widder Law is on Your Side
It’s no secret that life can get complicated, but navigating those tricky waters can be a lot easier with an attorney who you can trust. Don’t let legal troubles overwhelm you and make sure the attorney at your side is someone you can trust to defend what matters.
Here at Jeremy Widder Law, we dedicate our time to guiding you from start to finish and ensuring your case gets the attention it deserves. Our goal is to protect your rights and your future by fighting for the best outcome for your case.
We are committed to walking with you from start to finish and giving your unique case the attention it deserves.We’re ready to help. Let’s talk.
