Sorting out child abuse charges

Accusations of child abuse are always filled with high degrees of emotion that can tug at the heart strings of a judge and more importantly, a jury. Unfortunately, there are many times that children are used as pawns in battles between adults, meaning that just because a person has been charged with child abuse, it does not automatically mean they are guilty. While many instances of child abuse may be legitimate, there are many others where an adult or a parent is falsely accused. One of the most frequent times this happens is during divorce proceedings when child custody becomes a major battle between two parents. Simple acts of discipline can be magnified to unreasonable levels to win primary custody. The best defense you and your child abuse defense lawyer can put forth is a strong denial combined with evidence that undermines the opposing side’s claims. In fact, you may be able to show that the other side was a party to any alleged abuse, or that they separately conducted similar wrongful acts as well. When divorce and child custody is not an issue, the appearance of child abuse can result in charges. Many times, when a child sustains injuries that appear to be a form of abuse, the reality is that the injuries were sustained as the result of an accident. Unless the child’s accident took place as a result of gross negligence or recklessness on the part of an adult, the law does not punish adults for a... Read More

Important elements in mounting an effective drug crime defense

While it’s true that recent changes in the law have softened their stance toward the use of marijuana in Colorado, people should not assume that this attitude has spread to other types of drugs as well. Make no mistake about it, Colorado is still tough on the use, production, and trafficking of all kinds of controlled substances, and that means you could be facing serious trouble if you get involved with illegal drugs. If you’ve been arrested for a drug-related offense, then much of your drug crime defense strategy will be determined by what kind of drug was involved, the amount, and the circumstances surrounding the case. In other words, being popped for possessing a couple of Valiums is going to be completely different than if you get caught trying to sell a kilo of cocaine. In many cases, the courts may attempt to put first time offenders into drug diversion programs; judges are given more discretion on what kind of sentences to hand down. Overall, there is a more favorable attitude toward expunging convictions for drug-related cases so that one mistake does not follow a person around forever. The vast majority of drug cases never even make it to trial. More than 90 percent are settled with a plea bargain, allowing a defendant who stands a good chance of being convicted to take a lesser penalty instead. Plea bargains free up the court system’s resources so they can focus on more serious crimes. Many plea bargains come about as... Read More