If you are facing murder charges in Connecticut, your freedom is hanging in the balance. Murder is one of the most serious charges that a person can face, and penalties can be as severe as spending the rest of your life in prison. While you may be concerned about the cost of an attorney, this is the time to invest in quality representation. Your life is on the line. You need a lawyer who is as committed to keeping you out of jail as you are. Our experienced Connecticut criminal defense lawyers will fight tirelessly to ensure your rights and interests are represented and that you receive a fair trial and the best possible outcome in your case. Many attorneys have never handled a murder case, others are too afraid to go to trial given the severity of the offense. We don\u2019t have that problem. We are ready to fight any charge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding Your Murder Charge <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n All crimes are made up of certain elements. Criminal definitions are literal, so if you want to have a sense of how strong your case is, it is important to carefully study the definition of the crime that you are charged with and break it down into pieces. You should then assess how the facts of your case stack up against the elements of the crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also begin anticipating how the prosecution may argue for your guilt using the elements of the crime\u2019s definition. By understanding how the prosecution is likely to attack you, you can start thinking about how best to defend against their attacks. The more doubt that you can create with regard to the narrative presented by the prosecution, the more likely you are to secure a not-guilty verdict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is because the standard of proof used by the jury in criminal trials is \u201cbeyond a reasonable doubt.\u201d This means that if even one juror has doubt about whether a defendant is guilty of the alleged offense, the defendant should not be convicted of having committed the crime. Your job, therefore, with the help of your attorney, is to create as much doubt about the veracity of the prosecution’s allegations as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Elements of a Murder Charge <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Connecticut Criminal Statutes state that murder is committed when a person intentionally causes the death of another individual. The primary element of a murder charge is whether the accused individual actually intended to cause the death of the victim. This intent element is known as mens rea. This means that the person has the state of mind necessary to harm someone intentionally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, if someone was carrying a knife and their arm spasmed, causing them to strike the person next to them with the knife, even if the person died, the harm was not intentional. On the other hand, if there is evidence that the defendant did intend to kill the other individual, this will weigh in favor of a murder conviction and will support the prosecution’s case. Much of the litigation in a murder trial will revolve around the defendant\u2019s motivation. This is because the motive is necessary to establish intent, and intent is necessary to establish a murder conviction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n