What is a Criminal Defense? What are its Different Types?

As we all know that a defendant can go through some trials for allegedly committing some crime. In such cases, a prosecutor will try his best to prove that the defendant is guilty of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Here comes the work of a criminal defense lawyer who can present a defense in a variety of ways. He can argue that the defendant has not committed the crime or if he has done it then he has a valid reason for the same.

So, if you are the one accused of a crime, then you will have to find a good lawyer to fight your case. You must have heard about Spartacus Law Firm which is one of the best criminal defense law firms in Las Vegas, Nevada. They have a good team who can help minimize the harsh consequences of an arrest and also provide quality legal representation to the person who is accused of the crime.

Types Of Defenses

1. In this category, the defendant cannot be found guilty if he or she did not understand what he was doing or if his actions were wrong. This is called the defense of insanity. In this case, the defendant is supposed to prove that he has some mental problem because of which he was not able to understand what is right or wrong or was unable to control his actions. In many states, in such a situation the defendant will not be imprisoned but might have to stay in a psychiatric facility for his treatment.

1. Similarly, it is the case of defense of intoxication where the person is intoxicated because of which he was unable to differentiate between his actions. Here your attorney can prove that he was involuntarily intoxicated which couldn’t prevent him from doing the crime.

1. A criminal defendant can also argue on the mistake of law/ mistake of fact. In this defense, the defendant can say that he made a fundamental mistake that caused this crime. For example, in the case of larceny, the defendant can argue that he mistakenly thought that the victim has given his property to the defendant.

1. One category says that the defendant has committed the crime, but he was forced to take this action. He will have to give some valid justification for his crime. For example, the defendant can argue that he shot the intruder just to save himself as he was being threatened with death. Here it shows that the defendant was forced to kill someone for his or her protection. This is called self-defense.

1. There is something called a defense of duress which says that the defendant committed the crime because he was forced to do so by someone else.

1. Lastly, there is a necessary defense where the defendant can prove that he committed the crime to stop something big from happening.

Other than this, there is a way to say that there was no crime that occurred for which he can be found guilty. The best way to understand these different types is to speak to your lawyer about this.