With the notable exception of extreme crimes like treason and terrorism, murder is typically the most serious charge an individual can face. Although Maryland no longer imposes the death penalty in homicide cases, the penalties possible after a conviction could include life imprisonment.
Many people accused of intentionally ending a life feel desperate about the need to defend themselves against those allegations. There are many potential means of fighting the state’s accusations.
Sometimes, the best defense strategy will involve connecting with expert witnesses. Bringing in outside parties to testify about the case is a common strategy, as their testimony can often achieve one of the two crucial goals below.
1. Reframing the situation
Prosecutors do their best to make your actions look malicious and intentional. You may need to bring in psychologists or behavioral experts who can testify to show that you acted in self-defense. By challenging the intent to cause harm and raising questions about your motivation, some expert witnesses can make a jury more sympathetic toward you as a defendant.
2. Questioning the validity of the evidence
Expert witnesses can sometimes make juries question whether they can really convict someone based on a small amount of physical evidence or a single image from a security camera. By showing the weaknesses in the state’s analysis of the evidence or providing an alternate explanation, expert witnesses can generate that reasonable doubt that could help prevent a conviction.
Developing a robust defense strategy is necessary if you hope to fight back against accusations of murder.