If You Are Accused of a Serious Crime Your Reputation and Freedom Are at Stake
Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are accused of a serious crime your reputation and freedom are at stake. The choice of an experienced lawyer to represent you in these extreme circumstances is the difference between remaining in society and going to prison.
A lawyer who understands the dynamics of a criminal case, from the discovery of the introduction of the state’s evidence, pre-trial negotiations, cross-examination of State’s witnesses and the most effective presentation of experts for the defendant is one who will be your champion.
The presentation of evidence requires the skill of an architect and the eye of an artist. The trial lawyer provides his forensic skills of persuasion but often must decide on the best use of experts.
For example, if an eye witness is offered by the state and points you out as the criminal, perhaps by a photographic lineup or an in-court identification your lawyer may want to consult with a human factors consultant to fully explore on cross-examination the issues affecting the accuracy of perception and memory and line up procedures.
The testimony of eyewitness identification experts can assist jurors in understanding the psychology of mistaken identifications. Jurors ultimately have to interpret the accuracy of identification among themselves after returning to the jury room to deliberate at the conclusion of the case.
The history of criminal law is rife with examples of mistaken identity. Even identifications that sound convincing can be mistaken. The human ability to accurately see and record and remember is not like a machine. All of us interpret what we see through filers that are common to all and unique to an individual. Some of the obvious lead witnesses under stress to make honest errors, which can have devastating consequences, include the following.
- Fatigue
- A quick glance
- Lighting and distance
- Presence of a weapon: focus on weapon
- Cross racial identification
- Pressure to choose
- Influence after the fact
The prepared lawyer is one who can examine and dissect the testimony of eye-witnesses to your advantage so the selection of a lawyer becomes of paramount importance.
Fingerprint evidence presented against you with chill the novice and be intimidating to the inept. But fingerprint comparisons, including issues that affect the accuracy of comparisons, the methods used, and the underlying science of fingerprint examinations are all within the purview of an experienced criminal defense lawyer who utilizes their skills to turn the evidence that appears most damaging to your advantage.
The lawyer who is prepared to defend you effectively will understand the sources of fingerprint evidence, the assumptions upon which conclusions are based, the method used to compare fingerprints, the standard underlying conclusions regarding matches between fingerprints and the accuracy of the methods and of examinations to reach admissible conclusions.