Thousands of New Jersey residents face criminal charges every year. Many of the arrests associated with these cases are reported in the news, leading to an almost immediate “guilty as charged” reaction among the public. Of course, that is not the way criminal cases in America are supposed to work. There is a fairly high standard that prosecutors must prove in court: guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Any criminal defense strategy should consider the fact that the burden of proof that applies to criminal cases is very high, with good reason – a guilty verdict could alter a person’s life for years or even decades, and can result in a significant deprivation of freedom. In the immediate aftermath of an arrest, New Jersey residents would probably be wise to start to put together the foundation of a strong criminal defense strategy.
In most criminal cases, the first step is usually to analyze the circumstances of the defendant’s encounter with law enforcement officials, and to comb over the evidence gathered in the case. In some situations, constitutional objections may be appropriate. In others, the evidence involved in the case simply isn’t enough to meet the high burden of proof.
At our law firm, we work with our clients to analyze the unique details of their cases to see what approach will be best. We do our best to attempt to make sure that our clients have the best information about their case so that they can make well-informed decisions. For more information about how we work to help New Jersey residents facing criminal charges, please visit the criminal defense overview section of our law firm’s website.