Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is the legal standard in criminal trials to determine if a defendant is guilty.
There is no such thing as being found “innocent” in a criminal trial, the defendant is either “guilty” or “not guilty”. If there is a doubt in the mind of a juror, as long as that doubt is reasonable, the defendant should be found not guilty.
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What is a reasonable doubt? Even if there is a lot of eyewitnesses against the defendant, but the forensic evidence points that the person who committed the crime is not the defendant, that could be a reasonable doubt that the defendant is not guilty. If there is a video of a DUI arrest and the defendant looks sober on the video, that may be reasonable doubt for a juror to decide the defendant is not guilty.
Even though being charged with a crime may result in a strong suspicion of guilt, it is very important that the Constitutional standard in the United States of “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” is followed. Being charged with a crime is not enough for someone to be determined guilty, the prosecution must prove the alleged guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. A Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer can help defend you if you have been criminally charged in Georgia.
At A. Bishop Law, our Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney welcomes questions on Criminal Defense laws, Traffic Laws and Georgia DUI laws. Please Call or Email us with any questions.
About the attorney: Anne Bishop is a Georgia lawyer with A. Bishop Law in Gainesville, Georgia and handles various DUI / DWI, Marijuana Arrests and other Georgia Criminal Defense matters. The law office of A. Bishop Law can assist clients throughout Georgia including: Hall County (Gainesville, Oakwood, Flowery Branch), Jackson County (Jefferson, Braselton) White County (Helen, Cleveland), Lumpkin County (Dahlonega), Dawson County (Dawsonville), Habersham County (Demorest, Cornelia), and all of Northeast Georgia.
This article and/or video should not be considered nor relied upon as legal advice since it is only intended for general overview and informational purposes. Please consult with an attorney on your specific situation in order to determine an appropriate legal course of action.