Doing business can be dirty. There can be intellectual property thefts, copyright infringements, embezzling, money laundering, and other business or money-related violations. Getting accused of any of these crimes is not ideal, but this should be something that you should be ready for as an entrepreneur.
When you are accused of a commercial crime, the mere denial of the act will never be enough to prove your innocence. Like the prosecution, you will also have to present your evidence. Of course, you will have to prove the direct opposite of what they are alleging.
There are many types of evidence, and you have to choose carefully the ones that you’re going to use to defend yourself, with the assistance of an experienced lawyer. We will briefly discuss in this article the types of evidence that have been proven to be helpful in advancing the interest of commercial crime defendants in court.
Eye Witness Accounts
When you are charged with a commercial crime, one of the things that any criminal defense lawyer will want to establish is this: it’s impossible for you to have committed the crime because you were not at the scene during the time the crime was committed.
As mentioned earlier, a narrative of your whereabouts does not suffice. You have to present it together with corroborating evidence in the form of third-party statements from the persons that were with you. It’s better if you get more than one person to testify for you. They will serve to strengthen each other’s statements; ultimately, their statements will strengthen yours.
Documentary Evidence
Proving or disproving the commission of a commercial crime might rely heavily on document trails. You should dig deep and find official documents that prove your innocence. Records of transactions made using your credit card, check-in and check-out details in hotels, plane or boat tickets together with the official manifesto, visa stamps on passports, time-in and time-out records in workplaces, and even logbook entries are just some of the documents that you can secure.
Absent obvious indicators of tampering, the courts will usually accept these documents at face value because they are official records of third parties. Should they want to cast doubt on such documents, the prosecution will have to examine and question the people or institutions behind such items. Definitely, the legal process for this is going to be long and exhaustive.
Demonstrative Evidence
In addition to your official documents and the testimonies of your witnesses, you can also submit footage and photographs that clearly demonstrate that you did not engage in any commercial act that’s out of the ordinary. It should not be that difficult since almost all establishments today use biometrics and/or CCTV cameras to monitor and ensure the safety of their visitors.
Defending yourself in court is going to be a very detailed process. Even the minutest of details will be tackled in the most elaborate ways. Because the ins-and-outs of the whole process can be tricky, you really need the help of a good defense lawyer. Lawyers who have a background in prosecution, like Mike G Law, may be able to help by offering more insight. They will provide the assistance that you need every step of the way.
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