In the American criminal justice system, defendants are to be considered innocent until they are proven guilty. As such, the prosecutors who bring charges against individuals in the criminal courts are tasked with proving all of the elements of the crimes that they allege the defendants to have committed in order to secure guilty verdicts at trial. However, as some Baton Rouge residents may know, a presumption of innocence after a criminal charge may feel like empty words during a stressful and tense pretrial period.
A criminal defendant should not simply hope that a prosecutor will fail to make their case in order for the defendant to secure their freedom. Prosecutors rely on the evidence they have on hand to determine if charges are warranted and if they have enough evidence to work with in order to make their charges stick. If a prosecutor files charges and is prepared to see a case to trial, then there is often a good chance that they are prepared to prove all elements of the charges they hope to pursue.
While a criminal defendant cannot always eliminate evidence that may exist against them they can take proactive steps to prepare a criminal defense strategy prior to their trial. A criminal defense strategy is a plan that a defendant often crafts with their attorney that explains incriminating evidence, presents additional facts and advocates for the defendant’s innocence during their trial.
The attorneys of Hymel, Davis & Petersen recognize the importance of a client-specific defense strategy in giving an individual a fighting chance of overcoming their charges. Although innocence is supposed to be the presumption before a defendant is proven guilty, it is imperative that criminal defendants prepare themselves to fight their charges with every possible defense available to them. To learn more about criminal defenses, please visit the law firm of Hymel, Davis & Petersen through their firm’s website.