When a criminal lawyer is going to present a self defense case in a murder or assault case preparation is essential to a successful defense. That preparation should begin as soon as the criminal attorney is hired. One of the most important parts of preparation is finding out everything you about the victim.
Carefully check for all criminal records on the victim. Once you find these subpoena all police report you find. Any crime of violence you find can be gold but even criminal reports on other types of crimes committed by the defendant can lead to valuable evidence for the defense.
Once you have the police records have an investigator locate all witnesses who can give you information regarding victims’ propensity for violence. You will need these witnesses for trial, and they may lead you to more witnesses.
Find out where the victim went to school and subpoena all discipline and counseling records from the school. This can lead to more witnesses and acts of violence by the victim you can put before a jury.
Review all social media associated with the victim. You will often find damning post, photos and videos that can help prove the victim is a violent person.
Why is this type of information essential to a successful self-defense case in a criminal trial? Texas law allows the defense to present some of this information in a self-defense case. How much comes in and exactly what the witnesses will be allowed to testify to depends on the facts of each case.