Criminal Lawyer
Forensic evidence may be introduced in court by your criminal defense lawyer to help the jury understand how you could not have committed the crime for which you were charged. In the early stages of developing your defense strategy, it’s important to tell your criminal defense lawyer about any evidence that might help your case. Your insight is an invaluable aspect of building a solid case. During the discovery phase before the trial begins, compelling forensic evidence presented by your criminal defense lawyer might be sufficient to convince the prosecutor to drop your charges. Let’s take a closer look at what constitutes forensic evidence and how it can help your case.
Understanding Forensic Evidence
Forensic evidence can take many forms, and your criminal defense lawyer will likely try to review all that is available, especially what was collected by law enforcement. Though the prosecutor is compelled by law to share with your criminal defense lawyer the nature and specifics of the evidence they have collected, they do not always do so. For this reason, when you hire a lawyer to represent you, a thorough investigation of your alleged crime will be undertaken. In this way, the forensic evidence that we discover and examine may be instrumental in proving your innocence. Common examples of forensic evidence include:
- Traces of blood and other bodily fluids
- Ballistics (testing of guns, gunpowder residue, unspent and fired ammunition, etc.)
- Traces of DNA
- Clothing worn by those involved or allegedly involved in the crime
- Dental records
- Fingerprints
- Bones
- Residual narcotics
- Telephone records
- Computer files, emails, hard drive contents, etc.
Presenting Forensic Evidence in the Courtroom
An experienced criminal defense lawyer understands that forensic evidence can make more of an impression on a jury than a witness. This is for several reasons. One is that a witness can appear unreliable when questioned, particularly under cross-examination. However, physical evidence does not change though the interpretation of its importance might. For this reason, when it is advisable, our criminal defense lawyer will call on an expert witness to present and explain the forensic evidence within the context of the crime and our client’s innocence. The following scenarios are examples of this:
- DNA evidence. This might be presented by a DNA scientist who is adept at
- Traces of blood and other bodily fluids. A blood and other types of fluids analysist who understands how fluids of various viscosities and the splatter patterns they form in a particular circumstance.
- Ballistics. Your criminal defense lawyer might hire a forensic investigator who can interpret rifling and other characteristics inherent in spent bullets to match it with the gun used to commit the crime.
A Lawyer Protects the Rights of Fellow Citizens
Obtaining quality legal representation is key if you have been charged with a serious criminal offense. The risk of a conviction could lead to a prison term, fines, and the loss of one’s job and home. If you were charged with a crime, contact a criminal defense lawyer New York, NY trusts for an informational case review.
Thank you to our friends and contributors at Okun, Oddo & Babat, P.C. for their insight into criminal defense cases and forensic evidence.
