Defendants in criminal cases in Texas and throughout the country have many constitutional rights that must be protected throughout the entirety of a case.
Drunk driving cases are probably among the most common criminal cases to be charged in America and, although most criminal cases are resolved either through plea agreements or dismissal, some will eventually go all the way to a bench or jury trial. In proving every element of a criminal case, the burden is squarely on the prosecution, which protects the constitutional rights of defendants.
Meeting the burden
In criminal cases, the burden that the prosecution must meet is to prove the case “beyond a reasonable doubt.” We have all heard that legal phrase before, but what exactly does it mean?
Like many other legal terms, “beyond a reasonable doubt” can be nebulous and hard to define. The most common explanations of that term describe how it means that a judge or jury: must be “convinced” of the defendant’s guilt; can find no other explanation for the evidence presented other than the defendant’s guilty; or, more simply put, must be “certain” of the defendant’s guilt.
Although a defendant in a criminal case is not obligated in any way to present evidence or provide an explanation, oftentimes there are ways to attempt to point out inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case that might prevent the “beyond a reasonable doubt” burden from being met.
Each case is different and, like most other types of cases, drunk driving cases can be heavily fact-dependent. If you are facing drunk driving charges in Texas, be sure to have a thorough review of your case completed so that you can plan the best possible criminal defense strategy.