Violent crimes are among the most serious offenses of which you can be accused. We live in a society of laws, and the lawful use of force is typically reserved for law enforcement personnel engaged in the performance of their duties. But what about situations in which you have to use force to defend yourself? Fortunately for people who are being attacked, Alabama law recognizes that people can use force to defend themselves, but only in certain situations. For this reason, if you are accused of a violent crime and are claiming self-defense, you should speak to a Montgomery criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can.
Self-Defense Basics
Self-defense is known as an affirmative defense. This means that you, as the defendant, do not dispute the fact that you used force; instead, you are alleging additional fact that, if true, will justify your use of force. Importantly, for self-defense to be valid, your belief that you had to use force has to be reasonable, as does the amount of force that you used in your self-defense.
Protecting Your Rights After An Arrest
Cases involving self-defense are often messy. Common examples of when self-defense may be raised include bar or street fights or instances of alleged domestic violence. While it may seem juvenile, the question of “who started it” is often relevant to whether self-defense is a viable defense.
For this reason, it is important to take steps to protect your legal rights after you have been arrested for a crime of violence. This means saying as little to the police as possible. Law enforcement personnel are trained in interrogation techniques, and even if they seem like they are on your side and want to help, anything you say to the police during or after an arrest is much more likely to hurt your case than get you out of trouble.
How An Attorney Can Help
It is common to feel hopeless after an arrest for a crime of violence, especially if the police report indicates that you were the aggressor in the situation. Fortunately, there are many ways that an experienced defense lawyer in Montgomery can help you, including the following:
- Review the facts of your case and determine whether self-defense is a viable defense
- Protect your rights during any questioning that may occur
- Attempt to negotiate a favorable plea bargain arrangement with the prosecutor handling your case
- Move to have your case dropped
- Raise self-defense at trial
It is critical to remember that raising any legal defense is a complicated matter, and just expressing your side of the story is unlikely to make the charges against you go away. For this reason, anyone accused of a violent crime should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible.
Call Today to Speak with a Montgomery Criminal Defense Attorney
If you have been accused of a violent crime and believe you were acting in self-defense, you should speak to an attorney as soon as you can. Attorney Terry Luck is committed to helping resolve criminal cases as favorably as possible and is ready to protect your rights. To schedule your consultation, all Luck Law today at 334-262-5455 or contact us online.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
