Charged with Something I Didn’t Do

Being charged with a crime can have you fighting for your reputation and sometimes even your liberty. A criminal conviction can damage your personal and professional reputation. A charge or conviction can even stop you travelling to some countries because you fail their character requirements. Police will investigate an allegation and charge an accused if they form the view that the evidence supports the charge.

Police don’t always get it right, nobody does. Not everyone who reports to police gives them the right information, sometimes by accident and sometimes people deliberately make false claims to trigger an investigation and charges. An example would be wrongfully accusing someone of family violence or sexually assaulting a child in the context of family law proceedings. Allegations of this type can have lifechanging consequences.

You will most likely find out about criminal allegations when the police contact either by way of arrest or an invitation to have a chat or give them your version. They might make you believe that you "have" to make a statement.

The most important thing to remember is "Don’t go it alone" Dealing with a police investigation is serious stuff. They know what they are looking for and most people do not. There is always a risk that you might say too much, resulting in admissions and possible further charges.

Do:

The first thing, even before your talk to police, is contact one of the best criminal lawyers in Sydney. Things that will help your lawyer help you are:

• Any paperwork associated with charges, bail, court etc;
• A copy of any AVO;
• Your timeline of what you believe has occurred – your version;
• Gather any records that could relate the case, such as email, letters, or documents that show where you were at the time of the incident. Think about whether there is any CCTV available. Evidence like this can be lost quite quickly as people recycle storage space; and
• A list of possible witnesses whom you think they have the information about the event and try to obtain their contact numbers.

Do Not:

• Approach the complainant at all or try to talk to them about the case;
• Speak to the police without first speaking to your lawyer;
• Consent to testing or provide any evidence without consulting the criminal lawyers Sydney; and
• Never destroy any evidence that you think it will hurt you, that can end badly and potentially lead to further charges.

You might have a claim for costs against the prosecutor/police if you are found not guilty and can demonstrate on a balance that the police acted unreasonably in their investigation or failed to investigate reasonably.

One of the most crucial steps you have to take is to protect your legal rights by seeking advice from the Sydney criminal defence lawyers. Your lawyer will guide you through the process.

The author is one of the most skilled criminal lawyers in Sydney. Along with his team of professional lawyers, he provides his clients with a unique, tailored plan according to their needs. Visit https://www.nationalcriminallawyers.com.au for more details.

National Criminal Lawyers® is one of Sydney’s most sought after criminal law firms. This is because we get the results, give a senior lawyers’ guarantee and we are the best defenders of your rights. We understand how the law works and how the authori