Criminal lawyers specialize in various areas of law. Their mission is to uphold their clients’ rights and help them create defenses
that minimize any negative repercussionsfrom being arrested and convicted.
Professor Hansen emphasizes that a career in criminal law necessitates critical thinking, interpersonal relations and written and verbal communication skills. Furthermore, it involves dealing with potentially distressing situations like viewing evidence related to violent crimes.
Criminal law
Criminal law protects the public’s interests by making sure those who break the law are held accountable. This helps make society safer, as well as guaranteeing victims of crimes receive justice and compensation for their suffering.
Criminal laws are created and enforced by government authorities and police forces alike. These rules can be found in federal, state or local statutes and define what conduct is considered a crime as well as how prosecution of those found guilty will proceed.
Criminal law stands out among other areas of legal practice due to its focus on matters of public concern rather than private interests, like in civil law.
Coercion or duress defense
The defense of duress or coercion is one of four affirmative defenses commonly employed by defendants to obtain a lesser sentence. This defense asserts that an offense was committed under threat of death or serious bodily harm.
For this defense to succeed, the defendant must demonstrate an actual and imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm from someone else. This could include being held at gunpoint or having an anonymous source issue a threat.
Criminal lawyers can establish duress by presenting evidence of the threat and its circumstances. While this defense is not always successful, when all other elements are present it can be.
Involuntary intoxication
Involuntary intoxication is the use of an intoxicant, such as alcohol or drugs, without consent. It may occur through coercion, fraud, force or another person’s deceit.
In certain jurisdictions, involuntary intoxication can be used as an affirmative defense to a crime. This means that a defendant may admit evidence of intoxication to demonstrate that he had no awareness of his conduct being wrong.
For instance, if a defendant is charged with burglary and is found to have been intoxicated while inside a home, this could serve as an affirmative defense.
However, voluntary intoxication cannot always be used as a defense at trial and some jurisdictions require juries to receive instructions on the topic.
Insanity
Insanity is a legal defense that permits those mentally incapacitated at the time of committing a crime to be exonerated from criminal responsibility. This type of defense may be utilized when there is evidence that they were unable to understand why their actions were wrong or why they committed the alleged offense.
In many states, the insanity defense relies on a test known as the M’Naghten rule. This assessment relies on scientific psychological evaluation of the defendant and leaves it up to the jury to decide whether there is sufficient evidence that they were mentally incapacitated when they committed the alleged crime.
The insanity defense can be difficult to win, but it can work if there are legitimate underlying mental health issues. A Melbourne criminal lawyer recently convinced a jury that an individual suffering from schizophrenia and with a history of psychiatric hospitalization wasn’t responsible for killing a child staying at his house. He was then committed to a state psychiatric facility and remains there today.