Crimes exist in this world in different shapes and nature, but criminal law divides them into 4 main categories
- Personal crimes: Crimes, such as assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, rape and homicide result in psychological or physical harm and they are known as personal crimes.
- Property crimes: Those crimes that involve interference with other’s right to property, such as robbery, burglary, arson, forgery, theft and embezzlement are called property crimes.
- Inchoate crimes: Then there are incomplete crimes, such as solicitation or conspiracy. They are inchoate crimes.
- Statutory crimes: Statutory crimes involve personal or property offense.
As far as punishments are concerned, different countries and states have different level of severity for these crimes. Based on the level of severity, crimes can be classified into two categories:
- Misdemeanor: Crimes that are considered less serious receive less severe punishments. At most, a person may go to imprisonment for less than a year.
- Felony: these are serious crimes and may result in sever punishments, such as life imprisonment or death penalty.
For any of these crimes, the defender is allowed to hire a lawyer to prove his innocence. For example, if you face criminal charges in Calgary, Gracia Law Service understands how to go about and win your case.
Your Rights as a Defendant
In the following lines, you can learn how a Calgary criminal defense lawyer can help you face criminal charges:
- Right to discuss strategy
As a free citizen held against charges, you have the right for a fair trial, and your defense attorney ensures that your rights are protected. On the basis of all circumstances around your case and the nature of evidences testifying your guilt, your criminal defense lawyer will:
- Apply existing law, and the laws before it, to your situation, and
- Devise his sound legal strategy on the basis of your situation and creates a best case as he possibly could in your defense.
- Right to investigate
In criminal cases, there exist many evidences that can go in defendant’s favor and prove him innocent. If evidences are too difficult to find, your criminal lawyer will conduct an undercover investigation to search for more evidences. These evidences may be unknown witnesses, or any other factors that could help he improve defendant’s chances. Calgary criminal defense lawyersare by far the best in establishing strong defense of their clients.
- Right to find evidences
On the basis of his findings, his expert knowledge about the law and its technicalities, your defense lawyer utilize pre-trial period to strengthen your defense from every possible angle. The case will then be presented for trial.
- Right to defend trial
During trial phase, you defense attorney will do the following to raise the doubt regarding the crime:
- Use his knowledge and strong communication skills to forward effective questions
- Ask witnesses and experts for cross examination
- Legally challenge the authenticity of evidences raised against the defendant
- Present alternative theories to ensure legal proceedings remain fair
- Present any evidence to raise doubts about the guilt
- Right to appeal
Even if the case went against the defendant, criminal defense lawyer will use his expertise to create grounds for appeal in higher courts.