Few situations are more serious than being arrested for murder. Yet there are ways you can increase your chances of acquittal, and many of them start from the moment the cuffs go on.
To strengthen your case, avoid making these four mistakes.
Nobody gets blindsided with a murder charge like an innocent individual.
Our culture and media lead us to believe that the innocent go free and the guilty get punished. Unfortunately, 3000 to 9000 Texans are currently serving sentences for wrongful convictions right now.
You’ve been arrested because law enforcement and the DA believe they can make the case that you killed someone. You should take the charges very seriously and do everything in your power to help your lawyer defend your case.
Do not talk to the cops.
Do not tell them anything.
There is nothing you can say at the arrest, on the ride over, or in the interrogation room that’s going to stop this conviction from happening. Once they put the cuffs on you, they believe you’re guilty.
When you open your mouth, you’re handing the cops evidence to use against you. They will twist anything you say.
They can lie to you.
You may believe you are giving them an alibi, for example, because they mention a certain date and time. You confirm you were eating at a local restaurant between those times and have the receipts to prove it.
Except the murder didn’t take place at those times at all. The cops just needed to place you in that general area at a time that would have allowed you to leave the restaurant and head straight toward the crime scene.
Respectfully invoke the 5th Amendment. Your lawyer might be able to convince the DA to drop the charges for lack of evidence. Your lawyer might be able to convince a jury that you’re innocent.
But you are not going to convince the cops you’re innocent.
Our public defenders work hard, but they’re overwhelmed, and most of the time, they’re looking to resolve most criminal cases with a plea bargain.
A plea bargain might be the right move in your case, but it shouldn’t be the go-to move.
Make sure you are working with an attorney who has the time and energy to investigate your case and fight for you.
We represent the guilty as well as the innocent, and so some portion of the people we work with will be guilty of the murders they’ve been arrested for. While you don’t necessarily want to confess the murder to your lawyer, you do want to answer questions as truthfully as you can when asked.
Otherwise, your lawyer could end up blindsided later, and your defense may end up being inadequate because your lawyer wasn’t prepared enough.
A capital murder is a death penalty case in Texas, so partnering with an experienced defense lawyer could literally be a matter of life or death in your case.
Protect yourself by contacting the Hill Law Firm today.
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