Greenwich Third Degree Assault Trials

Somone accused of an assault criminal charge should have an understanding of their role in the Greenwich third degree assault trials process. It is important that the accused try to maintain composure during a court proceeding despite having emotion attachment to the subject under discussion, both for the attorney and the potential client, especially in a jury trial.

The jury is always watching and keeping an eye on the defendant’s face, especially when the complaining party is on the stand talking about the incident. The jury will look for defendant’s reaction to what is being said. A driven assault attorney will likely advise the individual to maintain a respectful expression throughout the criminal proceedings.

Important Reasons to Discuss Statements Made to the Police

It may be important before the trial to discuss with the individual any statements they made to the police. In some instances, a statement can be used against the accused. If at Greenwich third degree assault trials, the individual does want to take the stand and testify on their own behalf, their prior statement would be allowed into evidence.

In some instances, however, even if they do take the stand, that statement can come into evidence in limited incidences. That is why it is important for the attorney to be fully aware of everything that was said to the police, especially what the potential client said.

Inconsistencies in their statements can reflect badly on a person charged with third-degree assault. If they are on the stand and they are presented with a conflicting statement, it might damage their credibility in the minds of the jury. For the same reason, if the complaining party or witness has an inconsistency that could damage their credibility and help the accused.

What are Common Flaws Found in Police Documents?

Greenwich information documents provided by law enforcement often have flaws on them. The most common ones are misspelled names, wrong dates, or the wrong day. Less common is the statute number not matching the one cited. Those types of errors are fixed on or before the trial, so they are not favorable for the defendant.

Outlining the Third Degree Assault Trial Process

In a trial by jury, it is important to try to identify with each juror as much as possible because the more likeable the accused is, the more a juror can relate to them. It might be their background or what they are going through. The more a juror can relate to the accused, the more likely they are to consider the accused individual’s perspective.

After evidence, the next most compelling factor of a third-degree assault case for a Greenwich jury would likely be the testimony of the complaining witness or the testimony of a third-party witness who saw an incident unfold.

Likelihood of a Judge Overturning a Verdict

In Greenwich, the judge may overturn a jury’s verdict, but there is a high threshold for doing so. The only times this may occur is in a case of a guilty verdict and the defense attorney makes a motion to overturn it. The judge would have to consider that based on the evidence they heard, no reasonable jury would have reached a unanimous verdict of guilty. The jury is considered the ultimate fact-finder, so the courts frown on overturning their decisions, one way or the other.

Dangers of Witness Tampering

In Greenwich, tampering with the witness is an accusation made to the authorities. It might be that they were approached by the defendant, who told them not to testify or for them to be out of town during the trial or whatever they are alleging. Typically, that person would come forward or tell someone else, and it eventually gets back to the prosecutor, comes out in court, or a police report is filed.

Connecticut law defines tampering with the witness, accuser or informant as an extremely serious charge, so it is a felony charge. The general definition is when a defendant or someone else knows that there is an official proceeding and tries to interfere with a witness, alleged victim, or informant, be it their testimony or doing something for their own benefit deter the other person from acting.