Being arrested and charged with a felony or misdemeanor crime in Santa Ana can have a big impact on the rest of your life. In addition to jail time and fines, a conviction will permanently remain on your public record and could make it hard to get a job, qualify for a loan, or retain custody of your children. If you’ve been charged with in Santa Ana it’s important to take immediate steps to protect your rights.
The smart thing would be to contact the law offices of Santa Ana criminal defense attorney Jim Tanizaki. Jim served as Chief Assistant District Attorney for Orange County for many years. His unique experience and knowledge give him an edge when it comes to devising effective defense strategies for his clients. In many cases, Jim’s expertise and skills have resulted in reduced or even dismissed charges for his clients.
What Does “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” Mean?
You may have heard that in order for a jury to convict you of the charges against you, they have to find you guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. What does this mean exactly? And how can it affect your case?
In California, a defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. A person isn’t guilty of a crime just because they’ve been arrested, charged, and brought to trial. This presumption of innocence requires prosecutors to prove a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in order to obtain a conviction.
Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves a jury with an unabiding conviction that the charges against a defendant are true. Prosecutors must present evidence that is strong enough to eliminate all doubt in a jury’s mind. In a lot of instances, this is easier said than done.
How Reasonable Doubt Affects Your Case
How does this affect your case? One of the main objectives of a criminal defense strategy is to place doubt in a juror’s mind. This is one of the reasons why a criminal defense attorney relentlessly challenges the evidence presented by the prosecution. During their closing statements, the defense will stress that the prosecution has failed to meet its obligations to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. They’ll also remind the jury that they can only convict the defendant only if they consider them to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Your attorney only has to plant the seeds of doubt in the mind of one juror to get you acquitted of the charges against you. Keep in mind that reasonable doubt only applies in criminal trials; in civil actions, you could be found guilty based simply on a preponderance of the evidence. You could be acquitted of all criminal charges and still be found liable for millions of dollars in civildamages – look what happened to O.J. Simpson.
Without a Doubt, You Need Experienced Legal Representation
One thing of which there’s no doubt: you need experienced legal representation if you’ve been arrested on misdemeanor or felony charges in Santa Ana or Orange County. The person to call to protect your rights is Santa Ana criminal defense lawyer Jim Tanizaki. Don’t give up hope – there are many strategies that can be used to place doubt in the minds of a jury and get you acquitted.
Contact the law offices of Orange County criminal defense attorney Jim Tanizaki through our website, or call us at (714) 655-7633 to schedule a free confidential consultation to discuss your case.