Acquitted Of A Crime: What It Means And How To Achieve It

If you have pending criminal charges, you are probably scared—and rightly so. The first thing you should do is hire a criminal defense attorney, like the ones found at Crosby Legal, PLLC, who can help you through this difficult time. Next, you should consider whether you want to plead guilty or not guilty.

If you committed the crime, but there were extreme circumstances at play, you may be acquitted of the crime.

What Does Acquitted Mean?

Acquitted means that you are not guilty of the alleged crime. Sometimes this is due to extreme circumstances, such as self-defense or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sometimes this is due to mental illnesses, entrapment, or other forces outside of your control.

If you believe that you committed the crime, but under extreme circumstances, your lawyer will likely use the following defense options to prove your innocence:

Defense Options for the Guilty

If you are guilty of the crime, you can still be acquitted depending on the circumstances:  

• If You Used Self-Defense: If you can prove that you committed the crime due to self-defense, your attorney will likely use this option. With this option, your lawyer will use evidence to prove that you had an attacker that was out to hurt or harm you—and that you used necessary force to stop it.
• If You Suffer From Insanity: If you suffer from a long-term mental illness, your lawyer may use the insanity defense to prove that you did not mean to commit the crime. They may also use the insanity defense for quick moments of insanity.
• If You Were Under the Influence: If you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your lawyer may use this to your advantage. While under the influence, you may not have acted in your right mind—therefore you may have committed a crime that you would not have committed if you sober.
• If You Were Set-Up: Finally, your lawyer may choose to prove that you were set-up: either by a government official who coerced an admittance out of you, or by criminal that framed you.

Your lawyer may use one—or more—of these defenses to prove that you are innocent.

By using the methods above, you can be acquitted of a crime—even if you committed it. However, there must be enough evidence to prove that the extreme circumstance occurred. You, your lawyer, and any witnesses can create a plan to use in court that displays and circumstances in great detail. Your lawyer  may also ask for expert testimony from doctors, psychologists, and other professionals to prove your case.

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