You were arrested for burglary. Quite naturally, you’re worried about the fallout.
If you’re convicted, the consequences are considerable. Even before that might happen, however, you may feel the effects of your arrest. Your friends and employer might back away from you — you might even be fired.
What sort of defenses can you use to protect your future?
The type of defense available to you depends on your situation. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to produce a strong alibi. This would allow you to rest your case on actual innocence. For example, maybe the charges are based on mistaken identification by an eyewitness, but you have proof you were at work or somewhere else at the time.
Other possible defenses include:
- You had consent (or believed you had consent) to be where you were and do what you did. For example, maybe you had gone to your old job site to pick up some boxed belongings you’d left behind. Even though your former employer wasn’t there, your key to the building still worked, so you thought it was okay to enter.
- You lacked any intention to break into the place and you took nothing. Maybe you saw an open door to a building and you merely looked around to make sure there wasn’t someone in distress before you closed the door and left again.
- You were the victim of entrapment. This means that you were coerced into doing something illegal you wouldn’t have ordinarily done by the authorities. While this is uncommon, it does happen.
When your future (and your freedom) is on the line, the smartest thing you can do is learn everything you can about your defense options.