How to Press Charges for False Accusations
Recent cases involving DNA have brought to light hundreds of people falsely accused of crimes they did not commit. It is a grave injustice when an innocent person is accused of committing a crime. Therefore, filing charges against people who make false accusations is important. However, it is often difficult to prove a person intentionally deceived the police and prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt. This is because the criminal justice system encourages the reporting of crimes, but makes crimes difficult to prove.
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Instructions
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Contact the Police for a Criminal Charge
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Detectives manage criminal case investigations. File a report with the police department that is investigating the false accusation and state that the accusation is false. Provide details of your facts and request to speak with the detective responsible for investigating such cases. Schedule an appointment to meet with the detective.
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Bring the names of witnesses, records and any items that corroborate your story to the meeting with the detective.
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Meet with the detective. If the detective determines the accusation is false, then request the detective file a charge of perjury or false report to a police officer.
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Tips & Warnings
If the police or prosecution are unwilling or unable to proceed on your case, you may hire a private lawyer to handle the case in civil court and the standard of proof will be lower. A false accusation may be considered defamatory and there may be monetary damages to be had.
In order to convict a person in criminal court for making a false accusation, you must prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a high standard. It is difficult to convict people for making false accusations because there is usually no evidence the person had malicious intent.
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