Can Pleading Insanity Affect the Outcome of a Criminal Case?
There is no one way to describe a criminal as they range in appearance, qualities, and skills. A criminal could be a person siting next you trying to steal credit card information right from your wallet, or a man walking down the street plotting who he plans on robbing next. The fact is, there is no way to identify a criminal based on the way they look and at the same time we cannot define one type of person as this. People commit crimes for several different reasons; some are forced into it, some feel they have no other choice, and many aren’t quite in the right mindset which leads them to behave in unlawful manners.
A defense lawyer will determine the best way to plea in a criminal case.
When a person is charged for an offense, it is always advisable to hire a local Florida criminal defense lawyer as they may have helpful connections and can work to determine why you committed the crime and what your actual penalty is worth. Many innocent people are sitting behind bars this very moment simply because they didn’t have a defense lawyer working beside them to help prove their innocence. One thing a Highlands County, FL criminal defense attorney may try and determine is if insanity was the leading factor in causing their client to commit the crime. Insanity is defined as someone who doesn’t have normal perception, behavior, and may not socially interact on the same levels as the average individual.
While it is rather difficult to prove that insanity caused a person to act out violently or take part in a heinous crime, insanity defense does appear in courts and certain steps must be taken to truly determine if this was the real reason why they committed the crime they did. In most criminal cases, a jury is used to determine the verdict, or outcome of the case but when a defendant pleads insanity, there are two possible phases the courts must undergo during trial. If the defendant is found guilty, the next phase that comes into play is where it is decided as to whether or not the defendant’s insanity defense is valid or not.
When a defendant pleads insanity, a significant amount of evidence is going to be required.
Highlands County criminal defense attorneys note that if a person is found not guilty by insanity, the courts must decide at their discretion whether the individual should be placed in an institution or facility as their form of sentencing rather than going to prison. There is no doubt it takes a strong and dedicated defense attorney in Florida to represent a defendant who is claiming insanity caused him/her to engage in criminal activity, but it can be done with the right help.
USAttorneys.com connects individuals with nearby criminal defense law firms in the Highlands County area. If you are currently facing a change and have yet to hire a Florida defense lawyer to represent you, contact USAttorneys.com today and see how you can be paired up with a lawyer in no time.
