When a suspect is accused of a serious crime, they could suffer great damages to their personal and professional reputation. Facing criminal charges also means the possibility of enduring penalties if they are accused. Being allegations also carry a damaging effect, it is important that the accused understands their rights and how to initiate a defense strategy.
After Utah authorities responded to a fatal shooting in Lindon, a 59-year-old man was taken into custody. The man was accused of shooting his ex-wife’s new husband. Because the ex-spouses have a history of ongoing domestic violence even following their dissolution, police believe her ex is the leading suspect for the homicide.
According to reports, the man came to the home of his ex-wife looking for her. She was not home and her current husband and ex-husband got into an altercation. That is when police suspect that the man shot her husband in the head twice. Witnesses that heard the altercation indicated that the suspect shot his way into two other condos while he was looking for his ex-wife. It was believed that 30 shots were fired in total.
The man was arrested and faces charges for homicide and aggravated burglary. These charges carry serious penalties and could significantly affect the life of the accused. This is why it is important to establish a defense. This could possibly lower or even drop some of the charges against him. Furthermore, if an error occurred in the evidence gathering or arrest procedures this could lead to inadmissible evidence and could ultimately lead to dismissed charges.
Anyone facing a serious crime such as homicide should understand his or her defense options. Whether they decide to make a defense strategy or a plea bargain, any defendant should be fully aware of their options so they can knowingly and intelligently make decisions regarding the charges against them.
Source: Fox13now.com, “Suspect in custody after allegedly killing ex-wife’s husband, terrorizing residents,” Mark Green and Ashton Edwards, July 4, 2014