Defense Law | The Core Steps and Stages

Matt Pinsker

September 21, 2022

Defense Law

In the legal system, a defendant can use either the “Coercion” or “Abandonment” defense. This defense says that a person did something wrong to keep themselves or others from getting hurt. This type of defense law would be used by a person who broke the law to feed his or her family or steal a laptop during a riot.

Coercion

Coercion is the use of force or threats of force against another person. When someone is accused of a crime, coercion is often used as a defense in court. However, there are also ways to defend against coercion. These defenses can help a defendant get less time in jail.

Abandonment

The abandonment defense is a type of criminal defense that a person can use if they don’t want to commit any more crimes. The defense works best when a person who was going to commit a crime changed their mind or got scared and stopped. But an abandonment defense law can’t be used if the person left because of things that made them more likely to be caught or made it harder to try to commit a crime. But different places have different ways to figure out if an abandonment defense applies.

Insanity

In criminal trials, the accused can use the fact that they are insane or that they are not crazy as a defense law. Both involve saying that the accused person didn’t have the right mind to do the crime. Insanity is a common way for people to avoid being convicted of a crime when their mental state makes it hard for them to understand what the crime means.

Withdrawal

When you are accused of a crime, withdrawal or abandonment is a common defense. This is an affirmative defense, which means that the defendant must meet certain requirements to show that he didn’t do the crime. This includes telling the police so that the crime doesn’t happen.

Having less power

The first time this defense was used was in California. But the state legislature got rid of it, so it is now against the law to use it. The new law makes it illegal to use the defenses of diminished capacity, diminished responsibility, and irresistible impulse. Under this new law, the person who is accused must show that he or she was legally able to do the thing that caused the death.

Fact that isn’t clear

Mistake and misunderstanding are the two most common types of defense. A mistake is a thought that goes against what the facts show. A mistake of fact can be made by just one person or by two people at the same time. In both cases, the error must be real and make sense. The mistake can’t be something like pretending to be someone you’re not on purpose.

Misunderstood law

The mistake of law is a type of defense that can make some parts of a crime not true. This can be used as a defense for crimes like larceny and theft. It means that the defendant didn’t understand or misunderstood the law. This kind of defense can only be used in some situations and not very often.

Exculpation

There are two main types of defenses a defendant can use against the prosecution: impeachment and exculpatory evidence. Evidence that casts doubt on a defendant’s guilt is called impeachment evidence. Evidence that casts doubt on the sentencing factors is called exculpatory evidence. According to due process, both types of evidence must be given to the defendant as soon as possible.