Being accused of a crime you did not commit is extremely frustrating. However, you shouldn't let the frustration prevent you from getting the justice you deserve. Take the following steps to avoid becoming one of the 10,000 people wrongly convicted every year:
Preserve Evidence
When it comes to criminal prosecutions, merely saying you didn't do it won't cut it for you. You need to disprove the accusations with evidence. For example, if you have been accused of having sex with a minor, the prosecution may need to test the clothes you were wearing on that day for residues of bodily fluids. If you are innocent, allowing tests on the clothes may help prove your case by showing that they don't have any bodily fluids on them. It's easy to doubt your innocence if you discard or destroy the garments.
Make a List of Possible Witnesses
Apart from physical evidence, witness testimony can also be of great help in proving your innocence. Make a list of everybody who may know anything about your case. They don't have to have actually witnessed the alleged incident; any knowledge of the case helps. For example, if a person was not at the scene of the alleged crime, but the victim confessed the falsity of the allegations to that person, that person is still material to your case.
Avoid Contact with Your Accuser
If someone has taken the trouble of lodging false accusations against you, you aren't likely to change their mind by trying to reason with them. Therefore, don't approach your accuser to try an out-of-court settlement, particularly in the absence of your lawyer. Your well-meaning approach may only aggravate measures further. For example, you might get into an argument and say things that would later hurt you in court.
Get a Good Lawyer
Some people mistakenly believe that they don't have to put up a strong defense if they are innocent, but this is a fallacy. In fact, being innocent is a strong reason for hiring the best criminal defense attorney you can afford since there is nothing worse than being falsely convicted. Bare it all to your lawyer; even if you did embarrassing things that "encouraged" the accuser's machinations, don't hold it back. For example, if you were flirting with a minor that ended up accusing you of rape, furnish your lawyer with that information. The more your lawyer knows about the situation, the more they are likely to provide you with a strong defense.
