Criminal Defense Lawyer for Cruelty to Animals Charges

Many people are aware of animal cruelty to animals, but have a difficult time comprehending the concept of cruelty to animals. Often, people are caught off guard by the severity of the crime. However, there are several elements to be aware of when defending against animal cruelty charges in criminal court.

First, cruelty to animals is a punishable offense in criminal law. It is also, however, something that most people do not know how to defend against. As such many defense lawyers specialize in the defense of animals and will be familiar with the best ways to protect their clients from prosecution for cruelty to animals. Some attorneys may even make use of expert witnesses and animal abuse photographs as evidence to argue the point.

Second, there are certain types of animals that are specifically protected in criminal law. In order to ensure that those types of animals are treated with compassion and respect, those protections must be taken into account in any case of cruelty to animals. This can often mean trying to prove that an animal is only being abused so that the owner can be prosecuted for cruelty to animals. In such a case, having an expert witness who has investigated the issue will help the case be more successful.

Third, animal abuse is a separate crime than other types of abuse. For example, if an individual beats or even kills an animal for no reason, this may not be considered a cruelty to animals case. Instead, it may be considered an aggravated assault case. The same may be true if an individual places an animal in a locked box for a lengthy period of time and does not provide food or water. Such abuses are not crimes, but rather civil infractions.

To help defend against these cases, an animal abuse attorney will want to know what type of animal will be the subject of the claim. Often, it is possible to find different statutes that cover different types of animal abuse. A good attorney will be familiar with the laws that are relevant to the case and can generally easily find a statute that is relevant to the particular issue at hand. Additionally, the animal abuse attorney will want to know about the location of the abuser and the age of the animal in question.

When addressing animal abuse, the lawyer will want to know if the accused is experiencing a mental health problem, which is often a factor in this type of abuse. Additionally, the animal abuse attorney will need to know about any other supporting documentation such as veterinary records and police reports. A good lawyer will not hesitate to bring up these details to bolster their defense of the accused.

Finally, it is important for an animal abuse victim to have an animal abuse criminal defense lawyer to help them through the case. Not only will the lawyer to know the law, but they will be able to use this knowledge to their client's advantage. One type of bias that many people have found when defending against animal abuse is that an experienced lawyer is somehow better than a newbie. An experienced animal defense lawyer will often take the time to understand the case and prepare the case accordingly, as this will allow the client to feel more comfortable with the process.

While animal abuse is a serious crime, it is important to have an experienced criminal defense lawyer on your side to help you defend against it. Because many people are surprised when they are charged with cruelty to animals, it is important to have an attorney prepared to represent you in court. As such, it is important to choose a defense lawyer who has specialized in animal cruelty cases.