Norcross Violent Crimes Defense Lawyers

We protect the rights of people accused of violent crimes.

If you’ve been accused of a violent crime, you need a good lawyer. Law enforcement investigators relentlessly pursue these cases. Frequently, they instantly focus on a single suspect and then find evidence to support their accusations. Prosecutors are equally single-minded in court. Despite what TV shows and movies imply, prosecutors care nothing about fairness or justice. They simply want to convict as many defendants as possible.

A good Norcross, GA, violent crimes lawyer from Zimmerman & Associates stands up for individual rights in criminal court. This process begins with a thorough consultation, during which we quickly evaluate your case and identify your legal options. Then, we usually leverage any possible defenses, such as the ones discussed below, to successfully resolve your case out of court.

Jail Release

Incarcerated defendants often accept unfavorable plea bargain offers, mostly because confinement causes a extreme stress which clouds judgment. In contrast, immediate jail release kickstarts a successful criminal defense. A Norcross, GA, violent crimes lawyer has much more time to investigate the facts and negotiate a favorable resolution.

The violent crime defenses listed below take time to develop. A well-developed defense is an important bargaining chip during pretrial negotiations.

Speaking of negotiation, attorneys also negotiate with bail bond companies and obtain more favorable release terms. Typically, bail bonds include very restrictive conditions. Lawyers give defendants a little more freedom as they wait for trial.

Procedural Defenses

Police officers rarely witness violent crimes, like aggravated assault, murder, and sexual assault, firsthand. Instead, they launch extensive investigations to pinpoint defendants. These investigations often violate individual rights.

The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right to remain silent. Courts have consistently held that individuals may assert their Fifth Amendment rights during custodial interrogation. Most people are in custody when they do not reasonably feel free to leave.

The Fifth Amendment also applies in other situations. Suspects may refuse to appear in lineups and pose for pictures.

Photo and live lineups are often unreliable, especially if officers use a single-blind lineup. If the administering officer knows the suspect’s identity, this officer often consciously or subconsciously gives the witness clues.

The result might be accurate, but accuracy and reliability are two separate ideas. A broken clock, although it is accurate twice a day, is clearly unreliable.

Substantive Defenses

As mentioned, the defendant and the alleged victim are usually the only two eyewitnesses. The reliability question once again comes into play. We remember things selectively. Additionally, many alleged victims were drinking at the time of the assault or other incidents. Alcohol clouds memories.

Prosecutors often use scientific evidence, like hair fibers on blood splatter, to shore up shaky alleged victim testimony. This “scientific” evidence is often unreliable as well. Except for DNA and fingerprint evidence, the scholarly research that supports such evidence is thin or nonexistent.

If a Norcross, GA, criminal defense lawyer excludes some evidence and erodes other evidence, prosecutors are hard-pressed to establish guilt beyond any reasonable doubt.

Work With a Thorough Gwinnett County Attorney

Several defenses are available in violent criminal matters. For a confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Norcross, contact Zimmerman & Associates, Attorneys at Law. We routinely handle matters throughout the Greater Atlanta area.