How To Handle False Criminal Accusations In Alabama
It’s every person’s nightmare to be accused of a crime they did not commit. What is even scarier is that the wrongful conviction activist group The Innocence Project reports that 1% or about 20,000 U.S. prisoners are currently wrongfully imprisoned, to some degree on account of false criminal accusations. Let’s go over how to handle false criminal accusations in Alabama together.
Call A Lawyer
The most important thing a person can do when facing a false accusation in Alabama is to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney. A high-quality lawyer can help you effectively navigate the next steps to take in responding to a false accusation. When looking for an experienced attorney you should inquire as to whether they have ever dealt with false accusations before, especially regarding domestic violence and sexual harassment. An experienced attorney will be able to help guide you through this situation and ultimately ensure that justice is properly served against the person making a false accusation.
Request A Restraining Order And File A Police Report
A primary way to aid a false accusation case is to take as many steps as possible to create a paper trail that shows the dangerous nature of the false accuser. A strong paper trail creates evidence to help illustrate to a judge that the accusation is in fact false. Requesting a restraining order and filing a police report are two very important pieces of this paper trail. These documents indicate to a court of law that the person being falsely accused feels unsafe having contact or being in the physical presence of the person making the accusation. Taking this step will add evidence and credibility to your false accusation case.
Do Not Retaliate
When figuring out how to handle a false criminal accusation, oftentimes, our first response would be to fight it with everything using every tool possible. The human instinct is to fight the accusation by slandering the accuser online, making threatening phone calls or texts, or even using physical violence against the accuser. It is incredibly important to avoid the human instinct to fight back against these accusations, as it will only weaken your case. Retaliating would allow your accuser to show a documented history, but you have been aggressive towards them, and your case will lose credibility. If possible, avoid all interaction with the individual making false accusations against you, both in person, over the phone and text, and online.
Document Everything
When handling false criminal accusations in the state of Alabama it is important to document all evidence that could prove the accusations false, as well as evidence that would eliminate the credibility of the person making the accusations against you. This evidence could include text messages, receipts, photos with timestamps and locations, trip itineraries, emails, and all other physical documentation that corroborates your testimony and proves the accusation false. No piece of evidence is too small, and it might be one small thing that proves you are telling the truth. One type of evidence that many legal professionals recommend, is using a physical or electronic journal to document all interactions with the individual who has falsely accused you of a crime. The journal must be signed and dated if it is going to be submitted to the court as evidence. The most important thing to remember is that once an allegation has been made against you all interactions with the person making the allegations against you could possibly end up being seen and read in court. Be sure to avoid saying anything that could help aid in their false accusation.
Find Witnesses
Finally, when handling false allegations against you, it is important to locate witnesses that can help verify your side of the story. These witnesses could be friends, family, coworkers, or individuals on the scene of an incident or car accident. If the accusation is made against you cannot be corroborated, as the person claims it occurred in a one-on-one setting, it is still important to find witnesses who can speak to your good moral character and help convince a judge that you are not the kind of person that would commit a crime.
If you have been falsely accused of a crime, you need a top-notch criminal defense attorney on your side. Tim Fleming is that attorney. For over 30 years Tim has been helping to defend the rights of those who have been falsely accused of crimes in Mobile Alabama and ensuring that the truth prevails in court. Call or contact Tim Fleming today to get justice on your side.
