The most damaging part of a homicide case often happens before anyone is charged, in a police interview the suspect agreed to because they thought cooperating would help. It rarely does. A homicide attorney will tell you the same thing every time: you have the right to remain silent, and you should use it.
A homicide conviction can carry life in prison without the possibility of parole. Attempted homicide carries lighter penalties, but a conviction stays on your permanent record and will be held against you for the rest of your life. Either charge calls for immediate, experienced representation.
Remember: You Have the Right to Remain Silent
When being accused of a crime as serious as homicide or attempted homicide, you may be eager to tell your side of the story to law enforcement. However, it is actually in your best interests to remain silent. You never know what seemingly inconsequential piece of information could turn out to be the lynchpin in the case against you.
If law enforcement wants to question you, or if you have been arrested, call an attorney before you say anything. We can help you cooperate with the investigation in a way that protects your rights and your position in the case.
Possible Defenses for Homicide or Attempted Homicide
Depending on the evidence and circumstances of your specific case, it may be possible for us to present one of the following defense arguments:
- You were acting in self defense
- The death was accidental
- Evidence was obtained illegally
- Forensic evidence was tainted
- You are a victim of mistaken identity
- There is insufficient evidence to support a conviction
As your homicide defense attorney or attempted homicide defense attorney, we will tirelessly go over each item of the prosecution’s evidence including forensic evidence and witness testimony in order to develop a defense strategy for your case. We will fight to have any illegal or unreliable evidence excluded from the record, so it cannot be used against you. If necessary, we will bring in expert witnesses to discredit portions of the state’s evidence.
If we can weaken the prosecution’s evidence, we may be able to convince them that they cannot win at trial and therefore should drop the charges or at least offer a plea deal. If a plea deal is in your best interests we will use our knowledge of the local court system to make sure you receive the most advantageous deal possible, ideally including a reduced charge and reduced penalties.
Even if the evidence against you is strong, you may have been overcharged. If so, we can help you secure significant sentencing relief by fighting to have your charges reduced to a less serious form of homicide such as manslaughter.
Call Now to Start Building Your Defense
As soon as you suspect that you might be charged with homicide or attempted homicide, you need to contact us immediately, so we can begin to go over the evidence and aggressively defend your rights at every step of the investigation and court proceedings.
When facing serious charges, you deserve to have experienced attorneys who know the court system well and sincerely care about the outcome of your case and your future. This is exactly what you get at The Law Offices of Alejo Lugo & Associates. Call us now at (800) 497-0018 so we can start passionately defending you today.