As a criminal case moves forward, there are deals to be made. The goal is for your lawyer in St. Augustine to achieve those favorable deals on your behalf. However, there could be a witness for the prosecution who has also made a deal. Even though their testimony could be harmful to your defense, your attorney in St. Augustine will be able to challenge the credibility of the witness based on those deals. It is one of the many ways that an experienced lawyer in St. Augustine will be a benefit for your case.
Cross Examining a Witness
If a prosecution witness is a convicted felon or under arrest, then your attorney in St. Augustine will be able to ask about any deal for immunity. This is actually a right guaranteed to defendants under the Sixth Amendment. Part of that cross-examination will be to ask about what that witness would face without such a deal. Keep in mind, that the prosecutor might not have explicitly promised a reduction in sentencing to a witness. However, a skilled lawyer in St. Augustine will be able to poke holes in that claim. It won’t be hard to get the witness to admit that it was their impression that an immunity deal was on the table.
These challenges by your lawyer in St. Augustine are meant to plant seeds of doubt in the mind of the jury. It should be clear that the witness would say just about anything to save themselves. Obviously, that testimony is not to be trusted. In fact, your lawyer in St. Augustine might not even need to question the witness about their direct testimony. It might be enough to discredit them and have all of their testimony called into question.
Putting Up a Strong Defense With Your Lawyer in St. Augustine
A strong defense begins with retaining the services of a qualified lawyer in St. Augustine. Patrick Canan is an attorney in St. Augustine with an exceptional record of defending criminal charges. You would be doing your case a great service to have him on your side. Call his offices today at (904) 849-2266 to set up a consultation.
