When a person is charged with murder, it can feel as though their life is over. It can feel as though there is no option other than to plead guilty – even if they are not guilty. The good news is that a good criminal defense attorney can help you fight these charges. Read on to learn about eight potential defense options and then contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 to find out how we can help you in your specific case.
- You Were Acting in Self-Defense
- You Were Acting in a Moment of Insanity
- It Was an Accident
- The Evidence Against You Was Illegally Uncovered
- Your Confession Was Coerced
- Evidence Was Mishandled or Tainted
- You Were the Victim of Mistaken Identification
- The Killing Does Not Meet the Qualifications of Murder
If you believed your life was at risk, you have the legal right to respond with as much force as necessary. If you acted in self-defense then this can be a strong defense option against a charge of murder.
Only a “sane” person can be convicted of a crime. If it is found that you lacked the sanity to understand the severity of your actions, then we may be able to convince a judge that you are not guilty by reason of insanity. Note that this generally then leads to lockup in a mental health facility or other consequences.
In order to be rightfully convicted of murder, it must be proven that you acted intentionally. If it was an accident it might be another crime but it does not meet the legal definition of murder.
There are very specific laws about how the police are able to search for evidence against you. If they did not follow these rules, and we can prove it was an illegal search and seizure, then the evidence against you should be determined inadmissible. This could lead to the charges being dropped.
The police can lie to you but they cannot coerce you. The difference may seem difficult to understand but there are legal guidelines they cannot cross. For example, you were held for 12 hours, they refused your request for an attorney, and then told you the only way you could leave would be to confess, then this could be considered coercion.
If the evidence against you was not handled according to the protocol or there is reason to believe that it has been tainted, then that evidence against you should not be admissible. If this was a significant amount of the case against you, it might lead to dropped charges.
The truth is that eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable. If much of the case against you is dependent on another person IDing you, we may be able to demonstrate that their memory is not accurate.
There are many other types of homicide charges including voluntary and involuntary manslaughter as well as justifiable homicide. We may argue that you are guilty of one of these lesser offenses.
To find out the best option to defend yourself contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 for a free legal consultation.
