Starting a career as a criminal defense attorney is no easy feat. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears are needed before you will be able to get to the top of the trade. Not only is it essential to have invaluable experience to help you receive as much success as possible, but it is also important that you have the relevant qualifications needed to perform such tasks.
Regardless of whether you look to hire a nyc criminal lawyer or a similar professional in your area, you will want to make sure that they are the best people for the job, especially when it concerns something as serious as this.
You will know which attorney is the best one for you when you hear what type of legal jargon they know and understand. They may even use some of the examples below, so let’s take a closer look.
Acquittal
An acquittal is a form of legal judgement, which is decided by either a judge or jury. This could vary depending on what type of trial you have. It simply means that the accused has been found not guilty of the crime they have been charged or tried with. Think of it this way, an acquittal will occur when the people at the heart of the trial, e.g., the judge or the jury, has determined that the prosecutors haven’t proved that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which is something that they should always achieve.
Admissible Evidence
Admissible evidence is a type of evidence that a trial judge or jury may take the time to consider. However, the relevant party will only take the time to consider the piece of evidence that has been brought forward if the rules state that it is reliable. This means that the evidence must come from a credible source, such as witness testimony. Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration when looking at admissible evidence is relevancy. It must prove or disprove any important facts in the criminal case. If it doesn’t, it will be irrelevant and will be classed as inadmissible evidence.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Beyond a reasonable doubt is the burden of proof that the team of prosecutors must carry in a criminal trial to obtain a guilty verdict. If the trial consists of a jury, they must be convinced that the defendant who committed the crimes have been accused beyond a reasonable doubt before they can ultimately return a guilty verdict to the judge. In short, the evidence they have must suggest that there is no other reasonable explanation other than that the accused is guilty. It is also the highest standard of proof that must be met if the case goes to trial. So, this is a word that every criminal defense attorney must know.
Felony
A felony refers to a serious criminal offense. It is that serious that it is punishable by a significant prison sentence, or maybe even death. Although, this will only occur in the most extreme circumstances. If you have a felony, you will find that this is considerably more severe than if you were to pick up a misdemeanour, which we will learn more about in due course. Some of the different types of felonies consist of murder, extortion, and kidnapping. You should also note that felonies can be classified as 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree, or capital felonies. Because of its seriousness, a felony is something that a criminal defense attorney doesn’t want to deal with, as it has serious implications.
Misdemeanor
As previously mentioned, a misdemeanor is less severe than a felony. One trait they do have in common though is that they are both punishable by jail time. If it doesn’t result in this punishment, it can still harm your ability to find a job or to make the most of any privileges you may have been granted with a clean record. Again, they are classified as 1st degree and 2nd-degree misdemeanors, and they are commonly handled in a County Court. Based on the fact that they are less serious than a felony, some misdemeanors include petty theft, first-time drunk driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. If you have been charged with a misdemeanor, you may want to look for specialist legal help, regardless of how severe you think the crime is.
There are so many legal terms that professional criminal defense attorneys must know to help the accused receive a reasonable sentence for their crime. Because of their extensive knowledge, you must hire a professional who can provide you with all the help that you could need.
I found it interesting to read all the definitions of these terms. I would definitely hire a criminal defense attorney if I was ever in such a situation.