Why Tamping the Evidence is a Bad Idea When You're Charged for a Criminal Offence

What do you do when you're charged with a criminal offence? When you get hit with legal charges, how you handle the evidence can make all the difference in your case's outcome. If you tamper with the evidence, your story about what happened will become much more difficult to believe. Lawyers from criminal law firms Sydney explains why tampering with evidence when you're charged with a criminal offence is dangerous.

The Penalties Will Be More Severe Than Your Original Charge

If you tamper with evidence as part of your trial, you can be charged with obstruction of justice. If convicted, it’s possible to receive a much more severe sentence than if convicted of your original charge. In some cases, tampering with evidence can be charged as an indictable offence, meaning you may face prison time. Even in cases where tampering isn’t considered serious enough to warrant prison time, you’ll likely spend more time behind bars than if convicted on your original charge.

There Are Consequences If Somebody Else Tampers With Your Evidence

If you tamper with your own evidence, for example, if you destroy something or otherwise hide it from law enforcement, you could face more serious criminal charges. If you are found guilty of tampering with evidence, whether it was your own or somebody else’s, you can receive up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. In many cases where defendants have tampered with evidence during their trial, prosecutors have charged them as part of an effort to make an example out of them.

Tampering Can Implicate Other People

The reason you want to be careful tampering with evidence when you’re charged with a criminal offence is that your act may implicate other people as well. As part of your due diligence in determining how to handle the charges against you, it’s important to know what might happen if you tamper with evidence. In some cases, police could investigate other individuals who were involved in criminal activity. If they find anything suspicious during their investigation, those individuals will likely face additional charges and penalties.

Tampering Can Help Create Reasonable Doubt in Jurors' Minds

In criminal cases, tampering with evidence can raise reasonable doubt in jurors' minds about your guilt and cast suspicion on someone else. Unfortunately, however, it can also create distrust of you and make jurors wonder what you were trying to hide. But by hiring an experienced criminal defence lawyer near me as soon as possible after your arrest, you'll be able to explore all of your options when it comes to fighting your charges.

Tampering Can Be Viewed As Collusion or Conspiracy between Suspects

Most of us will assume that if you’re being charged with an offence, you must have done something wrong. As such, many people might assume you’re innocent until proven guilty. But what about those who are charged with criminal offences and then tamper with evidence? This isn’t going to look good in court. In fact, it could lead to further charges such as tampering with evidence or even collusion or conspiracy.

Tampering May Be Viewed As Consciousness of Guilt

If you tamper with evidence or destroy evidence, it could be perceived as an attempt to hide something from law enforcement. This is especially true if you’re charged with a serious crime, such as homicide or sexual assault.

Are you charged with a criminal offence but innocent? Please speak to a reputed criminal barrister Sydney. A criminal lawyer will defend you and make sure your rights are protected.

Factors to Consider When Looking For a Criminal Law Firm

If you’re accused of committing a crime, you’ll need to hire an attorney who specialises in criminal law. Even if you think you didn’t do anything wrong, it pays to have your interests represented by an expert in this field just in case there are any loopholes or technicalities that the prosecution might use against you in court. Fortunately, there are many criminal law firms Sydney out there who can help you get through this trying time. Here are a few factors to consider when looking for the right one for your case.

Confidence

The right criminal law firm should have confidence in its experience and expertise as it relates to helping clients with their criminal defence. Make sure that you’re meeting with a criminal solicitors Sydney who represents clients charged with similar crimes. If they don’t specialise in your particular area of crime, look elsewhere. Confidence shows that they know what they’re doing, so you can feel confident about how your case will be handled if you choose them.

Communication

Is their communication timely, detailed and informative? Do they provide you with all of your options, regardless of whether you choose them or not? Are they easy to reach by phone or email? How does it feel when you have a question? Does it feel like no one cares about your situation as much as they should? Do you get an answer within 48 hours? Is there any reason to think that would change if you hired them?

Reputation of the Law Firm

While it might be true that you can’t judge a book by its cover, criminal law is one area where you should take more than just a quick glance at someone’s resume. A good rule of thumb: don’t hire a lawyer with a track record of losing cases. Even if they get your case thrown out, do you really want them in court arguing your side? With so many prominent law firms around today, choosing wisely is crucial as is checking references and looking into past cases.

Reviews on Google

Reading online reviews is an excellent way to screen and choose the right criminal lawyers Sydney. Do they have multiple dissatisfied clients? If so, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. One important thing to keep in mind when reading these reviews, however, is that one unhappy client could easily create multiple accounts on Yelp or Google.

Experience/ Litigation history

Hiring a firm with an established record of success can help provide you with piece of mind knowing that your case is in good hands. Always ask about their litigation history and success rate. An experienced law firm will have a track record of handling cases similar to yours, so you’ll know what to expect during every step of your case. 

Asking how many years they’ve been practicing law may not be enough, since some lawyers are new but have handled hundreds of cases over their career, while others are new to practicing law but have no experience whatsoever.

Consider these factors when looking for a criminal law firm in Sydney. Make sure to choose a lawyer who works on client’s interest.

What Should You Do If You're Accused of a Crime?

Whether it's true or not, being accused of committing a crime can be very scary and overwhelming. You could face prison time or hefty fines if you’re convicted, so it’s important to know what to do if you’re ever charged with committing a crime and how to stay out of trouble in the future. Our criminal solicitors Sydney have compiled a list of things you need to do if you are accused of criminal charges. 

Notify Your Attorney 

The first thing you need to do is approach one of the best criminal law firms in Sydney and let them know that you have been accused of criminal charges. Criminal lawyers can offer advice and help you take further action. A good lawyer can help you understand your case and provide valuable guidance. 

Remain Silent and Find out What’s Happening 

It’s every citizen’s right to remain silent. Never speak to a police officer or any officer when you are interrogated. Please be aware that anything you say can be used against you in court, even if it's something an officer asked during questioning. As soon as you are aware that you are accused of a crime, find out what's happening and what your options are. Speak to Criminal lawyers Sydney in private without letting law enforcement know you have done so. A lawyer will be able to advise if you should remain silent or speak with law enforcement officials. 

Stay Calm and Don't Run

It's easy to panic when you've been charged with a crime, but running away or attempting to flee will only make matters worse. There is no need to run and hide because your innocence will protect you from being found guilty. Stay calm, don't run and get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible. The biggest mistake you can make is calling someone who hasn't studied criminal law for a living - even if they have a lot of experience in another field.

Acknowledge That There Will Be Consequences

It’s important to understand that you will face consequences for your actions, including a criminal record, which can affect future job prospects and college applications; loss of income; legal fees and court costs; a damaged reputation in your community; and additional personal and emotional challenges. Once you’ve accepted responsibility for your actions, it’s time to move forward with putting together a plan of action along with your lawyer. 

Stay Positive

Stay positive, and stay in control as much as possible. Try not to lose hope, even if it seems like things are bleak right now—they can always get better!

If you’ve been accused of criminal charges, it’s important to remember that you are innocent until proven guilty. The criminal justice system has checks and balances to ensure that no one gets convicted unjustly, but if you don’t take certain actions, you could end up receiving harsher penalties than your case deserves.