Tag Archives: charges

A Shift in Attitude Toward Crime and Punishment

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Facing criminal charges is incredibly stressful. The criminal justice system is complicated and intimidating. Most charges carry the potential to seriously harm your future. Heavy fines, time behind bars and damage to your family, career and lifestyle are all possible outcomes of a criminal prosecution. One consequence that can come as a surprise is the attitudes of friends, neighbors and acquaintances. However, there is some evidence that those attitudes might be changing.

Punishment or Prevention

Appearing to be tough on crime is a common tactic used by politicians at election time. Showing mercy or concern for people accused of crime is not generally a good way to appeal to the public. For many decades, criminal penalties were increased and the number of people behind bars rose. The focus is on punishment, as anyone who is accused of a crime will discover.

If the focus was on prevention, more people would talk about making neighborhoods safe and prosperous, and fewer would talk about locking people up and throwing away the key.

A Survey Shows a Change Might Be Coming

A recent survey of potential voters suggests that a growing percentage of the population, particularly among young people, prefer solutions based on preventing crime, rather than just punishing it. The tough-on-crime crowd still has many proponents, but there may come a time when the population as a whole rejects so-called tough-on-crime policies that have failed to make the population healthier or safer.

Be Ready to Fight From the Beginning

A change might be coming, but it’s important to deal with the situation facing us now. If you’re charged with a crime, you can’t expect to be treated kindly by a system designed to punish you. Your rights and your future depend on the defense you can put forward in court. If you and your attorney are not prepared to fight, you’re putting yourself in a bad situation.

In some cases, a criminal accusation can be enough to cause you harm. Your reputation is at stake, and it can suffer needlessly even if you end up with a good result. You need a strong defense as soon as possible to minimize the consequences of your legal troubles. Acting quickly can help you in many cases, and it will never harm you. Speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as you realize you may be facing criminal charges.

Lee & Wood, LP Offers Strong Criminal Defense

If you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime, you need a skilled attorney. Call our Fort Worth lawyers today at 817-678-6771 to get started.

Exoneration Numbers Highlight the Importance of Criminal Defense Attorneys

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The viewpoint that putting an innocent person in jail is worse than letting a guilty person go free helps shape criminal defense law. It might not be how the jury sees it, however. The number of wrongful convictions that were overturned in 2022 reached an all-time record. Every exoneration is proof that everyone, innocent or not, needs a strong criminal defense lawyer.

Exonerations Are too Rare to Be a Reliable Strategy

A criminal trial and, potentially, an appeal are generally the end of the line. The record number of exonerations set last year was still a meager 238 nationwide. Your best chance of a good result in the criminal justice system is to be found innocent in your initial trial.

As soon as you are arrested or charged, you need to speak to an attorney who understands criminal defense. Misdemeanors, felonies, and juvenile offenses should all be handled by an experienced legal team. You are far more likely to beat the charges by acting quickly than you are by hoping for an exoneration after your conviction.

Unreliable Evidence

According to the Innocence Project, most of the wrongful convictions they’ve helped overturn included eyewitness misidentification and the incorrect use of forensic science. While this type of evidence is not a part of all criminal cases, it’s worth considering that criminal courts can make mistakes.

In addition to evidence problems, the Innocence Project cites coerced pleas, misconduct by government officials, and inadequate defense as problems that can lead to a wrongful conviction. Importantly, each of these issues can be mitigated or even avoided by a skilled criminal defense attorney.

The Right to Remain Silent and Why You Should Use it

False confessions are another key factor in many exonerations. If you’ve never been through the criminal justice system, it might be easy to wonder why anyone would confess to a crime they didn’t commit. There are many reasons why false confessions occur, but most of them are the intentional result of police interrogation tactics. Investigators know how to pressure and even lie to people to get them to admit to wrongs they never committed.

A police interrogation is unlike anything people experience in their ordinary lives. False confessions are often secured after many, many hours of interrogation. People don’t understand what it’s like until they go through it. That’s why it’s always a good idea to remain silent when it comes to police questioning. Nothing you say will get the police on your side. They are only looking for ways to convict you. Saying nothing makes that much harder for them to do.

If You’re Facing Criminal Charges, Contact Us Now

Our Fort Worth criminal defense attorneys have the experience and skill you need. Getting through the criminal justice system takes careful guidance, hard work, and planning.

At Lee & Wood, LP, you will get a strong defense carefully tailored to your situation. The goal is to get the best possible result for you, whether through pretrial negotiations or in the courtroom. Call us to schedule a confidential consultation at 817-678-6771 or contact us online to get started as soon as possible.