The type of defense that is used against criminal charges varies from case to case, though there are some general principles of defense that are worth mentioning. First of all, it’s critical to remember that the burden of proof is on the prosecution. They are required to show, “beyond a reasonable doubt,” that the defendant is guilty of a crime. It can be a successful defense strategy, in some cases, to continually challenge the validity of the evidence that the prosecution puts forth, questioning their narrative of what occurred. There is also an array of defensive strategies that can be used to show that the defendant wasn’t even present at the time of the crime, such as the presentation of counter-evidence or demonstrating an alibi. Some strategies may even involve admitting that the incident in question occurred but, for a number of reasons, it wasn’t actually criminal. This is the thinking behind arguing for something like self-defense in violent crime or that there was consent in the case of sexual assault
. With so many options for defense available, it’s the job of a criminal defense lawyer to narrow things down to the defensive strategy that is most appropriate for a given case.