You may be facing criminal charges where the prosecution has overwhelming evidence against you. However, it does not mean that your case is as good as done. The court may suppress some of the prosecution’s evidence, meaning that the prosecution cannot use the evidence in question during the trial.
This can happen when the judge grants a motion to suppress filed by the defendant or their defense team before the trial kicks off.
Reasons evidence may be suppressed
A judge may grant a motion to exclude certain evidence from the trial for several reasons. For instance, the court may suppress evidence obtained in violation of your constitutional rights. If the police acquired the evidence through an unlawful search and seizure or an involuntary confession, the court is likely to exclude it from your trial.
Similarly, a judge may suppress evidence if its integrity is questionable due to chain of custody errors. This can happen if law enforcement officials mishandle evidence while in their custody.
There are other reasons a judge may suppress evidence, depending on the prevailing facts and circumstances of your case.
What are the potential outcomes?
Evidence suppression can seriously harm the prosecution’s case against you. It may be hard to prove your guilt to the high legal standards required in a criminal case without the suppressed evidence. In such a case, the prosecution may have no choice but to reduce the charges against you or drop them altogether.
Are you facing criminal charges?
The proper representation can make all the difference if you are charged with a criminal offense. This is why you should strongly consider getting the appropriate legal guidance to help improve the chances of a positive verdict.