Criminal Defense Law Firms
If you have been accused of a violent crime, you need the support of an experienced criminal defense lawyer right away. If convicted, you can face very severe penalties and you can lose some of your most basic rights for the rest of your life. Pleading guilty to a lesser charge may yield lesser penalties such as jail time, but still affect a number of your rights and your ability to hold certain types of jobs. The criminal defense law firms in this directory have the knowledge and experience to fight for you with every applicable defense.
Defenses Against Violent Crime Charges
When charged with a violent crime you may feel that all hope is lost, but an experienced criminal defense attorney will investigate your case and use every possible defense in your favor. The defenses available to you will depend on the unique circumstance in your case and the laws in your state.
To establish that you were not the actual perpetrator, your attorney will look for factors such as:
- Eyewitness misidentification
- DNA evidence shows it was not you
- DNA evidence was not collected ow was mishandled
In cases where your identity is not in question, defenses may include:
- Self defense
- Having been previously attacked by the victim
- A history of abuse by the victim
- Defense of someone else
- Defense of property
- Mental impairment
- Age
Types of Violent Crimes
Violent crimes are crimes that involve force or the threat of force. Examples of crimes that may be classified as violet crimes on your states include:
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Rape
- Other sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Hate crimes
- Robbery
- Car jacking
- Mugging
- Assault
- Battery
- Arson
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Kidnapping
- False imprisonment
- Terroristic threats
- Menacing
Why You Need a Violent Crime Defense Attorney
Each state treats violent crimes differently, when it comes to penalties, and each state has different ways of deciding whether certain crimes are considered violent. In a worst-case scenario, you could be facing the death penalty. Of course, most people are acutely aware of the need for a criminal defense attorney in death penalty cases.
Where most defendants fail to see the necessity of legal representation is in cases where the charges do not seem serious or when they know they are innocent and think that their innocence will save them. Both assumptions are dead wrong.
Conviction of any type of violent crime, no matter how minor it may seem, haunts you for the rest of your life. It sets you up as a prior offender, meaning you are more likely to be suspected in violent crimes in the future and that if you are convicted of future crimes you could face much harsher penalties than you would have with no priors.
Relying on your own innocence is the most naïve and regrettable mistake you can make. Innocent people are convicted at an alarming rate. Some spend years or decades behind bars. Some are put to death. Do not let it happen to you.
If you or someone you love has been charged with a violent crime, please get help right away. Browse our directory to find a criminal defense law firm in your area.