Understanding Criminal Law—What You Need to Know

Criminal law is a branch of law that deals with any kind of crime. It is one of the most sensitive branches of law, and it is completely different from civil law. The main aim of laws related to crimes is to regulate social conduct and to penalize behavior that is deemed to be threatening or harmful. In civil law, when a claimant files a case, it is up to the defendant to prove their innocence. However, in this branch of law, the defendant is presumed to be innocent of all crimes until there’s significant proof. You may have heard the term “innocent until proven guilty” in many court dramas. The main aim of this principle is to ensure that an innocent person isn’t punished by the justice system.

Finding a Criminal Lawyer

Many local law firms specialize in handling cases that fall under the branch of criminal law. Unlike civil law, a punishment in a criminal court means that you will have to spend some time in jail and your records will be added to the criminal database as well. Because of the seriousness of these potential punishments, you need a reputable law firm on your side to handle the case. Local law firms such as Britton Law Offices, LLC have plenty of experience helping clients win criminal cases.

Proceedings

Criminal trials are generally longer than civil cases, primarily because the court requires a lot of proof to put the case “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Unless there’s enough proof to convict the person, the court will delay its ruling. The lawyers are responsible for making statements before the jury and bringing out witnesses to the stand to record their testimonies. These are just some of the essentials that you should know pertaining to criminal law.

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