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19 Feb 2021

You’re a law-abiding citizen who pays taxes on time and whose worst offence is a couple of fines for speeding. So the thought of being accused of something more severe where your way of life is at stake is incomprehensible to you.

Unfortunately, people are falsely accused of crimes that they have no involvement with all the time. To prevent the worst-case scenario from occurring, you must take immediate action to clear yourself of the charges.

The first step you should take is to retain a solicitor who’s dealt with similar cases to yours. Give us a call today at ABV Solicitors if you believe you’re innocent of wrongdoing and need representation and legal advice on how to proceed. Read below to find out more.

Understand the gravity of the situation

Knowing your own innocence doesn’t exempt you from being punished if others, like prosecutors, the police, judge and jurors see things differently.

Denying or making light of the accusation is detrimental, which is why you should treat any allegations seriously by approaching a criminal solicitor at the earliest stages of an investigation, to improve your chances of a favourable outcome.

Be willing to pay for legal fees

Having to pay for the services of a criminal solicitor might seem unjust or unnecessary if you haven’t, allegedly, committed any offences, but it’s necessary to fight the charges.

With the stakes being high, you need expert legal counsel offering professional support, helping you to understand the charges made against you in their entirety, and to build a strong defence.

At the same time, you probably don’t have a firm grasp of your legal rights and what these are. A lawyer ensures these rights are protected when you’re called in for questioning or arrested.

A lawyer can intervene

A criminal solicitor must take charge by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and gathering expert reports to build a strong defence. A criminal lawyer may also work to prove to relevant authorities that you’re not a suspect, which could result in acquittal, especially when the evidence against you is circumstantial or insubstantial.

Waits to take action

Charges made against you might be dropped if an accuser recants his or her accusation or if new evidence comes to light that supports your innocence. Sometimes waiting is the best course of action that your crime solicitor can take.

Performs a thorough investigation

Being formally charged with a crime is highly overwhelming and a devastating blow.

A full investigation will let your crime solicitor collate evidence. Evidence may include objects like photographs, items of clothing, and documents and emails, time stamped to show where you were at the time the crime took place.

Helpful information relating to the incident can be obtained from witnesses. Draw up a list of potential witnesses who can back your story and provide it to your solicitor.

During the investigation, the solicitors will examine the prosecutor’s case, identifying its strengths and weaknesses. In turn, the prosecutors will scrutinise the defence, looking for holes in the stories. These possible scenarios must be examined and prepared for.