It’s one thing to be accused of a crime that you committed. It’s another entirely to be accused of a crime you didn’t commit. If you didn’t violate the law, you may feel gutted and at a loss as to what to do and how to prove your innocence.
If you’ve been falsely accused of committing a crime, it’s important to take the necessary steps in order to protect yourself. False accusations can destroy your life. You don’t want to end up paying fines or serving a prison sentence because someone lied. Neither do you want to suffer from a damaged reputation, job loss, or other unwarranted consequences.
Here is what you need to know about why people get falsely accused of crimes and what to do if this happens to you.
Reasons For False Accusations
There are various reasons why you may be falsely accused of committing a crime, such as:
- Maliciousness. Someone may deliberately lie and accuse you of something that you didn’t do in order to hurt you.
- Mistaken identity. The victim may mistake you for the perpetrator of the crime.
- Misrecollection. Trauma and stress can affect one’s ability to correctly recall an event.
- Disregarding evidence. Law enforcement may experience tunnel vision and not consider all the evidence in order to make a quick arrest.
- Official misconduct. Officials may either make a mistake or abuse their power, causing them to arrest and charge the wrong person for a crime.
Unfortunately, people do end up serving prison sentences and carrying out other punishments for crimes they didn’t commit. If someone accused you of something you didn’t do, it’s crucial that you protect yourself.
Here are 4 important steps to take after being falsely accused of committing a crime.
#1. Recognize The Seriousness Of The Situation
If you’ve been falsely accused of committing a crime, you may be alarmed, but not too concerned, because after all, you didn’t do it. It’s natural to assume that the truth will come out in legal proceedings. However, this is not always the case.
You shouldn’t assume that others will recognize your innocence. People have served lengthy sentences and paid expensive fines for crimes they didn’t commit.
If you don’t know how to defend yourself or the appropriate actions to take, you could end up suffering the consequences for something you didn’t do for the rest of your life. As such, you must ensure that you treat the situation with the gravitas it demands from the very start. This will help you take the appropriate actions in order to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome.
#2. Stay Calm And Assert Your Right To Remain Silent
If you’ve been falsely accused of a crime, you may be tempted to argue and fight with police officers and court officials. However, this can hurt your case and lead to additional charges, such as resisting arrest.
While it may be difficult, you should try to stay as calm as possible. Officers will use whatever they can against you. The best thing to do is stay quiet and contact your lawyer as soon as possible. When police say that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, they mean it. Your words may be misconstrued or twisted in order to fit the opposition’s agenda.
Prosecutors often try to strong-arm people into pleading guilty to a crime they didn’t commit with plea bargains. If you don’t have an attorney, you may feel intimidated or like your only choice is to plead guilty in order to resolve the issue quickly. However, convictions may follow you the rest of your life.
Staying calm and waiting for your lawyer is essential. Attempts to smooth things over can backfire badly. The only thing you should say is that you want your lawyer. Once your lawyer gets there, you can go over the situation with them.
#3. Hire A Defense Attorney
While you may assume that you don’t need to hire an attorney because your innocence will be obvious, people do get wrongfully convicted and can give false confessions. The earlier you hire a defense attorney, the better. The best thing you can do if you’ve been falsely accused of committing a crime is to hire a defense attorney. They will know what your options are and how best to defend you.
In order for them to do this, you must be completely honest with them about what happened. Honesty is the best policy when speaking with your lawyer, even if you did commit a crime. Tell your lawyer all of the facts, even the ones that may make you seem guilty. They need them in order to ensure that they can build an effective defense strategy.
Your defense attorney will do whatever they can in order to prove your innocence and prevent the false accusation from destroying your life. They will assist in gathering evidence and contacting witnesses to help your case.
#4. Know What NOT To Do If You’ve Been Falsely Accused Of A Crime
It’s only natural to panic if you’ve had false charges brought against you. However, you must be careful not to do anything that could hurt your case.
Some of the things you shouldn’t do if you’ve been falsely accused of a crime are as follows:
- Don’t destroy any evidence that you think could hurt you. Doing so makes you look guilty.
- Don’t consent to voluntary tests that the police request without your attorney present, as you never know what they may find or if anything has been planted.
- Don’t talk to the accuser, witnesses, or anyone else without your attorney. This can be construed as intimidation/witness tampering.
- Don’t assume your innocence is enough. People do get wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Such actions could end up hurting your case and cause further charges to be brought against you.
As such, it’s crucial to ensure that you hire a dedicated, experienced criminal defense attorney to help you prove your innocence.
Have You Been Falsely Accused Of Committing A Crime?
I, Zachary Holbrook, will assist you. If you’ve been falsely accused of committing a crime, reach out to me to schedule a consultation. A strong defense is essential in order to ensure that you receive the best outcome possible to your case. I specialize in criminal cases in Utah, at both the federal and state levels, with experience in violent crimes, drug crimes, sexual crimes, property crimes, and white collar crimes.
For more information about how I can help you with your case, please do not hesitate to contact me to schedule an appointment.
