Falsely accusing someone of a crime
Falsely accusing someone of a crime
When you are accused of a crime you did not commit or had nothing to do with, it can be confusing. Worse, there is no guarantee that the charges will be dropped or that you won’t be found guilty in the end. Sometimes, though, people are wrongly accused. If you find out that you are being wrongly accused of a crime, you must act quickly to defend yourself.
What Should You Do If You Were Arrested for a Crime You Didn’t Commit?
Even if you know you are not guilty, you may not know what your rights are or how to move forward. The first thing you should do is find a criminal defence lawyer with experience who has helped people accused of crimes like yours. Even if you are just a suspect, you need to hire a lawyer as soon as possible. With the help of a lawyer, you can fight the charges you are facing or may face. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself:
Understand how serious the accusations are. You need to know how bad the rules are and what could happen if you break them. Even if you are innocent, you shouldn’t expect the jury, judge, prosecution, or police to rule in your favour. If you take the accusations seriously from the beginning, you can make decisions and take steps that are more likely to lead to a positive result. Know what it will cost you to defend yourself. You may have to pay for a good defence against the charges in the form of attorney fees, investigation costs, and fees for expert witnesses. Even though it seems unfair to have to pay money to defend yourself against false accusations, your life is in danger, so you must do everything you can to make a strong case.
Help before you file charges. If you hire a lawyer while you’re still a suspect, he may be able to stop you from ever being charged with a crime. In rare cases, he might be able to talk to police or a prosecutor about your case and show them proof that they are looking for the wrong person. There should be nothing done. In other situations, your lawyer may decide that the best thing to do is to do nothing and wait to see if the prosecutor finds enough evidence to charge you with the crime. Even if a witness changes his story or a test comes back positive, you might not be charged with anything.
gather any actual proof and paperwork As soon as possible, you should gather any clothes, photos, or other items that could help your defence and give them to your lawyer. Gather as much proof as you can, like letters, emails, receipts, GPS data, and other things that show where you were at the time of the crime.
Find out how to get in touch with the witnesses. Make a list of possible witnesses who could tell your lawyer about what happened, who was hurt, and what the charges .