Criminal laws are designed for punishing offenders as well as deterring
others so that they don’t commit any crime. However violating a
criminal law doesn’t always means that the person has intentionally
disobeyed law. It does not make the person guilty automatically. A
number of defenses can be used in order to excuse your criminal behavior
in Fort Lauderdale.

Let’s have a look at the defenses you can use in order to get rid of a criminal conviction.

Doing an Act by Mistake


Criminal law requires the defendant to commit a crime deliberately. You
can claim that you have made a mistake. If you have acted mistakenly,
it will be used as a defense. For example, you are charged with robbery
as you picked up two aluminum rods from a construction site. However, if
you can prove that you picked them up as you believed them to be
abandoned; the theft charge can be dismissed.

Doing an Act Under Duress


When you are charged with a criminal act, you can defend yourself by
proving that you have done that act because you were endangered. Except
murder, duress is considered as a solid defense in most of the cases.
You will have to establish that there was an instant threat of serious
injury or death.

Changing Your Mind about a Crime


If you were involved in a conspiracy you can use abandonment as your
defense. This means you will have to prove that you were involved in the
conspiracy initially. However, you have changed your mind later and had
made serious efforts to stop other people involved in the conspiracy
from committing the crime.

You Can Plead Insanity

If you
were insane, when you committed the crime you can be excused. Insanity
is one of the strongest defenses used in criminal cases. Most of the
states will declare you not guilty whereas in some states you can be
declared guilty but insane. In that case you will be sent to a mental
hospital first for treatment and then sentenced to prison.

Criminal Defense Lawyer can Help


Criminal law is extremely complicated and defending yourself without
the help of a lawyer is impossible. When you are charged with a crime,
consulting a Fort Lauderdale Defense Lawyer is a must. Only an
experienced criminal defense lawyer can handle your case and ensure a
favorable plea. Therefore, you must hire a lawyer and follow his
instructions so that you can win the case.