An individual facing criminal prosecution in Franklin Park may pursue various defense strategies to contest the prosecution’s case and seek a favorable resolution to their charges. An effective criminal defense will undermine the prosecution’s ability to meet its burden to prove every element of the charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Although specific defense strategies will depend on the nature of the criminal charges and the facts of the case, some of the most frequently pursued defenses in criminal cases include:

• Lack of Intent – Defendants may contend that the prosecution’s case cannot prove that the defendant acted with the mental intent required by the charged offense, such as acting willfully or knowingly.
• Lack of Possession – In drug and weapons cases, a defendant may deny having actual (physical) or constructive (legal control) possession of the drugs or weapons.
• Mistaken Identity/Alibi – A defendant may deny responsibility for a crime by contesting the reliability of victims’ or eyewitnesses’ identification or presenting alibi evidence to prove they were elsewhere when the crime happened.
• Consent – Many sex crime cases turn on the issue of whether an alleged victim validly consented to the sexual act(s).
• Self-Defense – In violent crime cases, a defendant may assert that they acted in self-defense or defense of others to protect themselves or others from the alleged victim’s aggressive or violent actions.
• Unreliable Forensic Evidence – Defendants may challenge the reliability of forensic evidence supporting the government’s case, such as fingerprints, DNA, ballistics, or computer data.
• Unlawfully Obtained Evidence or Statements – A defendant may seek to exclude evidence or inculpatory statements from the prosecution’s case by arguing that law enforcement investigators violated the defendant’s rights through an unlawful search or interrogation.