Your Best Defense to Felony or Misdemeanor Charges
If you are charged with a crime, you need an experienced, passionate defense attorney who knows all possible defenses and is not afraid to fight!
Attorneys with a Track Record of Winning in Court
The law requires that the prosecutor prove every element of a crime at trial beyond a reasonable doubt for felony and misdemeanor charges. The defendant need not prove anything and need not say anything at all. However, there are times when the defendant wants or needs to introduce evidence to establish a defense. In such cases, the defendant must present the defense because the prosecutor will not be helping the defendant at trial.
It takes an experienced, seasoned attorney to formulate a viable defense and introduce it over possible prosecutor objections. An experienced lawyer knows what evidence to introduce and how to introduce it.
In this three-part series, we will review for you the following defenses to felony and misdemanor charges:
- Self-Defense – Part I
- Alibi – Part I
- Impossibility – Part I
- Duress – Part I
- Necessity – Part I
- Entrapment – Part II
- Involuntary Intoxication – Part II
- Claim of Right – Part II
- Insanity – Part II
- Consent – Part III
- Statute of Limitations – Part III
- Abandonment and Withdrawal – Part III
- Actual Innocence (mistake, accident, lack of intent, etc.) – Part III
Self-Defense (And Why You Need an Attorney To Prove It)
In Michigan, the law allows you to defend yourself or your property against a physical attack if you honestly and reasonably believe such defense is necessary. In addition to being entitled to defend yourself, you also may defend someone else who is in immediate jeopardy of being harmed or killed. A defendant is allowed to argue self-defense only under certain circumstances. For example, the amount of force used must be reasonable, and the defendant must not have created the situation in the first place. There is no duty to retreat from an attack in Michigan, and you are legally allowed to stand your ground. There are many other limitations and complexities to self-defense, and every case is different. It takes an experienced criminal defense lawyer to analyze and formulate a winning self-defense argument.
The Alibi Defense and Its Requirements
The alibi defense means you could not have committed the crime because you were not present at the crime scene at the time of the crime. To be successful, you must be able to produce credible evidence that you were not present. Not all proof is admissible in court, and the law requires timely notice of this defense to the prosecution. A top-rated, shrewd attorney will be able to obtain and organize all evidence of an alibi and make sure it gets admitted in court in the most compelling way possible for the defense of felony and misdemeanor charges.
Impossibility as a Defense
Impossibility means that for whatever reason, it was impossible for the defendant to commit the crime. For example, it would be impossible for a person who cannot speak to yell fire in a crowded theater. Similarly, if a person stabs someone who is already dead, he cannot be guilty of murder. If the commission of a crime was impossible, the defendant is not guilty.
Defense of Duress to a Criminal Charge
A person may not be guilty of committing a crime if they only acted because of a reasonable fear of legitimate harm. There also must be a lack of an opportunity to escape from the situation. For example, a civilian in a bank threatened by an armed bank robber and forced to open a safe would not be guilty because he only agreed due to duress. A person cannot legally claim that they took an innocent life because of duress. Duress can be a very effective defense to a felony or misdemeanor charge; however, it takes a very skilled lawyer to demonstrate this defense in court.
The Defense of Necessity
A person may find it necessary to commit a crime to avoid a greater evil. In other words, a person who commits a crime may not be guilty if it reasonably appeared that there was no other alternative in an emergency situation (that he didn’t create). For example, breaking a pipe in a building is ordinarily considered malicious destruction; however, if a building was on fire and it was necessary to break a water pipe to extinguish a flame, the damage to the pipe was necessary. Because the damage was necessary, the defendant is not guilty of maliciously destroying the property.
Criminal Defense Attorneys Specializing in Felony and Misdemeanor Representation
The dedicated, experienced, and zealous defense attorneys at LEWIS & DICKSTEIN, P.L.L.C. have successfully represented thousands of clients on misdemeanor and felony charges in the state of Michigan. We have a well-earned reputation for providing high-quality and aggressive representation while showing empathy and care for each client. We are experts at establishing defenses, even in the most complicated cases.
Call us today at (248) 263-6800 for a free consultation or complete a Request for Assistance Form. We will contact you promptly and find a way to help you.
We will find a way to help you and, most importantly,
we are not afraid to win!
