How to Build a Strong Criminal Defense

Know the Details of Your Charges

When you are accused of committing a crime, one of the first steps you can take is to ensure you have a strong grasp on the charges you are facing. Knowing the details of your charges can help you stay prepared throughout your case for any issues or concerns that can impact your defense. These details can help guide your decisions and ensure you are building the best possible defense for your case.

That includes any past convictions, especially if they are related to your current charges. For example, if you have previous DUI charges or convictions, it can impact your current charges. In some cases, you may even be labeled a habitual offender, and the penalties you face may worsen because of this. Ensuring that your attorney is as up-to-date as possible on your charges is vital.

Misdemeanor vs. Felony Charges

One of the first questions about your case that you may have is whether you are facing misdemeanor or felony charges. While both of these case types can result in serious charges, misdemeanors typically have lesser penalties. That does not mean that it is not worth fighting back, but it can help your attorney build the right defense for your case when they know the severity of your charges.

These details can give your attorney greater insight into the specifics of your case. Your attorney will need to gather all information possible for your case, so that they have the resources needed to best tackle your case. Any information you give can potentially be used to determine exactly what penalties you may face and what approach your lawyer can take to defend your case.

Aggravating Factors

When building a strong defense, you also need to be aware of any aggravating factors that can impact your case. Aggravating factors are details that may worsen the severity of your charges. For example, a drunk driving case is already severe, but aggravating factors like having a child in the vehicle can lead to more severe penalties that leave you paying for much longer.

In some cases, these aggravating factors can even make a difference in whether you are facing misdemeanor or felony charges. Depending on the aggravating factors, you may face more severe charges that impact your ability to recover from these charges. Because of this, your defense needs to keep these aggravating factors in mind, as they can impact the sentence you face if you are seeking to reduce the severity of your charges.

Choose a Strong Defense for Your Case

Once you understand the details and penalties you could face because of these charges, your next step will be to choose the right defense for your case. The specifics of your defense will depend on the specifics of your case and what happened.

For example, if you were involved in an altercation that led to assault charges, you may have been defending yourself from someone who was trying to harm you. In those cases, you would not seek an entrapment defense, but a self-defense argument. If you are unsure what type of defense to build for your case, below are a few examples of common defenses we can potentially use for your case:

• Entrapment
• Mistake of identity
• Mistake effect
• False accusation
• False confession
• Self-defense
• Defense of others

Unsure where to begin for your defense? Reach out to an attorney to learn more about your options. During your consultation, our attorneys will review the details of your case, discuss your potential options for defense, and begin building that defense as soon as you are ready to seek out help.

Gather Evidence

Once you have determined the best defense for your case, you still need evidence to support that case. That includes gathering evidence that can help prove your version of events. This evidence will also vary depending on the details of your case.

For example, there may have been eyewitnesses to the event that led to your arrest. Those eyewitnesses can testify in court on your behalf. In other cases, you may have been mistakenly identified as the person responsible for a criminal defense, but you may have been somewhere else entirely. In those cases, you may need to build an alibi through receipts, video footage, and accounts from others.

Gathering evidence can be difficult, especially if you are expected to stay in jail, or if you do not have access to certain areas following the incident. Your attorney can use their tools and resources to begin seeking out evidence and compiling that evidence on your behalf.

Criminal Defense Legal Services: Areas We Serve

At van der Veen, Hartshorn & Levin, we are proud to provide trusted and strategic criminal defense representation across Pennsylvania. Our attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals accused of crimes, offering strong advocacy and personalized defense strategies at every stage of the legal process. Wherever you are located, effective legal counsel is always within reach.

We serve clients throughout Pennsylvania, including the following counties and communities:

• Philadelphia County
• Montgomery County
• Lehigh County
• Northampton County
• Chester County
• Bucks County
• Delaware County
• Berks County

State-wide, our Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers craft tailored defense strategies to protect the rights and futures of individuals facing misdemeanor and felony charges in these communities.

Connect with an Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyer

When you are accused of committing a crime, it can be difficult to recover. You may be unsure where to begin, or you may think that you have no grounds to avoid a conviction. However, when you build a strong criminal defense, you have a chance to avoid serious issues and get the recovery you need.

If you are unsure where to start on your case, reach out to our attorneys at van der Veen, Hartshorn and Levin to learn more about how to build a strong criminal defense. We offer consultations to those who are interested in our services and who are ready to learn more. When you are ready to speak with a criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia, do not hesitate to reach out by calling or completing our online contact form.