Can a Greensboro Criminal Defense Attorney Explain What Role the Victim Plays in Court?
Yes, of course! The victim of a case is pretty important to the State, but do their wishes ultimately control what happens with the case? Sometimes it can depend on the individual prosecutor, and sometimes it can also depend on the specific charge depending on what county you’re in. If you have specific questions about victim’s rights, you should speak with a Greensboro criminal defense attorney today!
The elected prosecutors can sometimes take specific policy issues and make a generalized rule about it for prosecutors to follow. For example, in Guilford County the State has a policy of not dismissing domestic violence charges at the wishes of victims. Thus, even if a victim takes out a civilian warrant for domestic violence, the State will probably not dismiss this charge without a trial or without the defendant pleading guilty. The good news in this situation for a defendant is that it’s fairly difficult to prove domestic violence without the testimony of at least the victim. Thus, if a defendant pleads not guilty and then go to trial, they probably have a pretty good change of getting a not guilty verdict. Of course, this is all circumstantial depending on specific facts and witnesses that the State has. Aside from domestic violence charges, victims will typically have a pretty good say-so in what happens. This means if they are persistent upon going to trial, the State will most likely advocate for a trial unless they see that they do not have sufficient evidence to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. If this happens, they will probably dismiss the case. Ultimately, it’s up to the State to decide what they can and can’t dismiss, but they will usually always take the wishes of the victim into consideration. For more information on specific rights of victims, contact a Greensboro criminal defense attorney today.
You should reach out to a Greensboro criminal defense lawyer to fully understand the role of victims in court. The criminal defense attorneys at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth, and Olson know the requirements of the law and also genuinely care about each and every case given to them by their clients. Call at 336-379-0539 today; we are here to help!