27 Feb What to Do if You’ve Been Falsely Accused of a Crime
Being falsely accused of a crime is a frightening experience. Even if you survive the accusations, your life still might be greatly impacted. Bitter breakups and divorces are common times when people make false allegations. If you have been accused of a crime you did not commit, it is vital to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney with a proven record like Todd Coolidge.
False Allegations of Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse
The most frequent crimes that are falsely reported are related to domestic and sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is a crime that occurs to an American every 98 seconds, which is a staggering statistic. While it is imperative for those being domestically and sexually abused to come forward and speak out, there are unfortunate situations of wrongful allegations. Stop Abusive and Violent Environments has found, through evidence-based research, that nearly 700,000 false charges of domestic violence happen each year.
What To-Do and Not-To-Do if You are Falsely Accused of a Crime
Do
- Insist on search warrants.
- Exercise your right to remain silent.
- Hire a lawyer
- Gather physical evidence like clothing and photos.
- Gather any relevant documents like bank statements.
- Make a list of evidence you were unable to attain.
- Make a list of potential witnesses.
Don’t
- Destroy evidence.
- Talk to the victim or witnesses.
- Talk to law enforcement without your attorney present.
- Voluntarily submit to DNA or other testing.
False Reporting Charges
False reporting of domestic violence, sexual assault, fire, offense, bombing, or other types of emergencies are illegal. It is charged as a class one misdemeanor in Arizona. The sentencing of the crime includes probation with no jail time or up to six months in jail with a fine of up to $2,500.
Domestic Violence Lawyer in Phoenix
Todd Coolidge has years of experience dealing with false allegations of domestic violence in Phoenix Arizona. Promptly hiring a lawyer if you have been falsely accused of a crime is the wisest decision you can make. If you are in the middle of divorce proceedings, your divorce attorney may attempt to handle it for you. However, you may want to consider hiring a criminal defense attorney instead. Let an expert handle your case.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (11/29/24). Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash