You’ve likely heard of alibis as an element of legal proceedings. An alibi can be a powerful piece of evidence, but it simply isn’t always enough to help someone prove their innocence in a Louisiana criminal case.
Alibis as a defense to criminal charges
An alibi is a legal defense strategy that is used to show evidence you were in a different place or taking part in specific activities at the time of the crime with which you are being charged. It serves as a strong part of any affirmative defense to prove the suspect’s innocence. However, it doesn’t always work in the individual’s favor.
It’s up to the defendant compile the evidence of where they were, what they were doing, and any people they were with to act as witnesses. This is meant to establish reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury.
How well this alibi works is dependent on a few things. Of course, it’s in your best interest to get as many details as possible to narrow down the timeframe and your exact location. In today’s world, the fact that many places have cameras and people have tracking on their phones and other devices definitely helps with this matter.
Credibility of witnesses
An especially important aspect of your alibi is going to be witnesses that come forward to speak on your behalf. Even if you were with people for the entire time, it helps if you have a witness who isn’t closely connected to you.
While an alibi is helpful to any criminal case, you need to make sure you have solid details and reliable corroborating witnesses. It doesn’t guarantee that you will receive a not guilty verdict. An alibi definitely is a good strategy to use in combination with other methods of establishing a defense.