If you have been accused of murder, you could face the rest of your life in prison if convicted. In more severe cases, you may even face the death penalty, which means your life is at risk.

You may not know where to turn or what you should do next. You’re likely confused and anxious about what will happen next and whether you’ll be convicted or acquitted. Your situation requires an aggressive Fort Worth murder lawyer who can guide you through the process.

At Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC, we know how much a strong defense can help you overcome the charges you’re facing. Reach out for help understanding your charges and getting your charges reduced or dismissed.

How a Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help You

When you’re charged with murder, you’re in an extremely difficult situation. The law is complicated, and the penalties for murder are severe, including capital punishment in Texas. You may be wondering what your options are and what you can do to protect yourself from a conviction, especially if the evidence is stacked against you.

Your lawyer speaks from experience with cases just like yours, and they have the tools to offer advice on defending yourself against murder charges. We will help you understand:

  • When self-defense may be justified
  • How the law views self-defense
  • How prosecutors decide whether to charge you with murder
  • Possible defenses if they charge you with murder

If you’ve been charged with murder, your lawyer can provide you with all this information. They can also help you understand important terms that can impact the outcome of your case.

For example, there are two different kinds of murder: premeditated and non-premeditated. Premeditated murder is a planned or deliberate killing. This type of murder is often referred to as first-degree murder, while non-premeditated killing is usually referred to as second-degree murder. Your lawyer will help you understand the difference and what it means for your case.

Building a Strong Murder Defense

The first step your murder lawyer will take in defending you is to examine all the evidence that has been gathered by the prosecution. The prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the crime, and this means they have to present all of their evidence at trial.

If there is any evidence that does not support their theory of events, your lawyer will use this to try and build doubt in the minds of jurors about whether you committed the crime.

Another important tactic your lawyer may use when defending you against murder charges is attacking weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

For example, if there are no witnesses who saw you commit murder, then this would be a weakness that could be attacked by your lawyer at trial. Reliable, credible witnesses can be tough to find, and this detail can make a big difference.

Your lawyer will also interview any witnesses who claim they saw something or someone else commit murder instead of you so he can build up his own theory of events as well as attack weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

Tools Your Lawyer Will Use in Your Defense

There are some tried-and-true tools that your lawyer can use to defend you against murder charges. Those tools may include any of the following:

  • Circumstantial Evidence – Let’s say someone was seen driving away from the murder scene but was never actually seen at the specific murder scene location. Were they the murderer? Or were they just in the vicinity? Proving evidence against you is circumstantial can help weaken the case against you.
  • Alibis – If there is no way to prove that someone was not at the scene of the crime when it occurred, then building an alibi may be the best option for your lawyer’s defense strategy. They might call witnesses who were with you at a different location when the crime occurred, for example.
  • Forensics – Forensic evidence uses tools to reconstruct elements of the crime. As an example, blood spatter patterns can reveal how someone died and how far away they were from a certain part of the house when they were attacked.
  • DNA Evidence – Forensic scientists can test samples of blood, semen, and saliva or match DNA against a genetic profile through a law enforcement database called Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS. This evidence can help prove or disprove a person was at the crime scene.

Seek a Defense from a Murder Lawyer in Forth Worth

If you or someone close to you has been wrongfully accused of murder, it’s crucial that you contact an experienced Fort Worth murder lawyer. In many cases, a good attorney can make the difference between spending life in prison or reduced or dismissed charges. The team at Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC is ready to make that difference.

Take the first step for your defense. Fill out our online form below or call at 817-334-7900 to speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer.