Strategies Against Criminal Charges

A resident of Seattle, Washington, Noah Genatossio is an alumnus of the University of Washington, where he majored in political science. He currently serves as a legal assistant at Colvin & Hallett, where he helps lawyers with criminal defense. For legal professionals like Noah Genatossio, part of their research involves finding information for defense strategies.

For a person to be convicted of a crime in the US, they have to be found guilty beyond reasonable doubt; as such, one of the most common defense strategies is to establish reasonable doubt. The lawyer’s objective is to find arguments for why the prosecutor’s claims are not viable. Some approaches they use include finding errors in police evidence or questioning a witness’ credibility and intention.

Another typically used defense is the alibi. If a lawyer can find and reveal evidence that showcases the fact that their client was somewhere else, doing something else during a crime, there is no basis upon which to accuse them. As such, all criminal charges are withdrawn.

Depending on the offense and the individual’s medical history, a lawyer may also consider an insanity plea. This is an option only when the defendant can produce psychiatric records that indicate that their actions were a result of not being able to tell right from wrong. If the court accepts this defense, the defendant does not receive jail time; instead, they undergo treatment at a psychiatric facility.