There are two distinct facets of the US justice system; civil law and criminal law. The behavior of American citizens is governed by laws that have been set by their state of residence as well as all encompassing federal laws which are found in the penal code. When a crime has been committed, the perpetrator is charged with either a violation of civil law or a violation of criminal law. In some situations, one criminal act can violate both federal and state laws, in this event they trial venue can be either federal court or state court depending on the wishes of the prosecutor.
A criminal attorney in Cincinnati is always a defense attorney, he or she is engaged by an individual or an entity that has been accused of a serious crime, often called a felony. The constitution of the United States states emphatically that everyone is considered innocent until such time as they are found guilty in a court of law. A criminal attorney is charged with the responsibility of investigating the case and attempt to identify ways that doubt can be introduced into the criminal proceedings. It is the criminal attorney in Cincinnati that develops a trial strategy to help show that his client, the accused, is innocent or that he is guilty of a lesser crime.
People often wonder why criminal law continues to grow; it does so because new laws are constantly be enacted. Lawmakers in the US have radically expanded the reach and overall authority of the justice system. The federal laws are expanding at a very fast rate, so much so that in the last 10 years hundreds of thousands have been accused and convicted under expanded criminal laws.
With this explosion in new laws, it is easy to find yourself breaking one. Many of these laws lower the bar, making conviction easier for the prosecution as they no longer have to prove that the accused had “criminal intent”. During the 20th century the number of federal crimes could be counted literally on two hands, today there are over 4,500 crimes written into federal statutes.
With an easing of what is required of the prosecution, it is increasingly important that anyone arrested and charged with a crime find a criminal attorney in Cincinnati for representation in court.