What to Do When Falsely Accused of a Crime

By Jeff Kennedy

Witness statements are often cornerstones of the prosecution’s case, so it’s probably safe to say that a person’s statements are important in the criminal court system. Setting so much store by one witness’s statements can be dangerous, however, because sometimes, people lie.

Why would someone lie about whether or not you committed a crime? There are many reasons:

  • To get themselves out of trouble
  • Out of malice, jealousy, or personal gain
  • Because they are intimidated or bullied into providing false evidence against you

Yes, people do provide false information to the police, and they do sometimes accuse others of crimes that never happened or accuse the wrong person of a crime they didn’t commit. So what can you do if you’ve been falsely accused of a crime? Fight back!

Examples of False Accusations

Let’s look at an example of a false accusation.

A husband and wife are separating, and the husband knows that his wife has a better chance of getting custody over the kids. He is terrified of losing time with his children, so he decides to make false accusations that she has harmed the kids. Maybe he even goes so far as to call the police and make a statement about her (fabricated) violent behavior.

After speaking with the kids and others, the police believe his statements to be false. Maybe the husband later admits to providing false information. He can be prosecuted for the crime of filing a false police report, a Class B misdemeanor, under Texas statutes.

How Can a False Accusation Harm You?

Being falsely accused of a crime can shatter your life. Depending on your situation, it could destroy your job, your family life, your reputation, and your mental health.

Here’s an example of how a false accusation could change everything for you:

Say you work as a principal at a middle school. You and a friend had a falling out because you got the promotion and he didn’t. Your friend can’t get over it and decides to make a claim that you assaulted one of the students. The school is required by policy to investigate any accusations of wrongful behavior, and things get out of hand.

The local news station picks up the story, and everyone in the entire town hears about your alleged assault on a student. Even though evidence later vindicates you, you still lose your job, your friends won’t talk to you, and even your spouse is looking at you differently.

False accusations have a way of doing almost as much damage as ones that are actually true. So what can you do about being falsely accused of a crime? Unfortunately, the only real thing you can do is to hire an attorney to protect your rights and keep you from being convicted of a crime you didn’t commit.

Get in Touch with a Criminal Defense Attorney

Don’t let a false accusation ruin the rest of your life. Protect your future and your reputation by working with a criminal defense attorney with The Law Offices of Jeff C. Kennedy. Call 817-605-1010 or fill out the communication form on this webpage.

WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY?

Jeff C. Kennedy was the light of hope at the end of very dark storm. He was not only able to defend my case swiftly, but had the alleged charges dismissed completely. His calm and empathetic demeanor offered emotional succor to myself and those I care about most. My children and I are eternally grateful for his excellent service and I hereby recommend Jeff C. Kennedy without reservation.

Kishta

Jeff Kennedy truly cares. He and his staff kept me informed all the way throughout my case and provided me with all my options and the potential outcomes for my case. When the day finally arrived to resolve my case, Jeff was able to negotiate a reduction to a lesser charge. He was well prepared and coordinated everything perfectly. Jeff is not only a good lawyer, but a good man.

N.C.L.

I hired Mr. Jeff Kennedy to handle a DWI charge. From day one, I knew I had picked the right attorney. Jeff always took the time to answer any of my questions, treated me very professionally, and truly cared about my case. I have never been in any kind of trouble before and I was very nervous about the thought of going to trial. Jeff thoroughly explained the entire process to me and made me feel at ease. Jeff took my case to trial and the jury found me NOT GUILTY!

P.T.S.

Jeff Kennedy is a professional, intelligent, easy-to-talk-to lawyer with an excellent understanding of how the system works. Jeff was able to get my twice the legal limit BAC thrown out and he kept me from having an interlock device put on my car. This has been my only big mistake in life so far (hopefully the last) and I am glad he was there to walk me through it. You will not regret hiring him.

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