The offense of conspiracy involves agreeing with another individual to commit a crime. However, you can only be found guilty if you took some sort of overt action to commit the planned crime. The need for prosecutors to prove that you actively took part in a conspiracy could provide your skilled defense attorney with options for defending you against such charges.
Before you accept a plea or try to represent yourself in court, consider discussing your options with our Butler conspiracy lawyer at Benjamin Levine Law LLC. Each of our defense attorneys is a former prosecutor, giving us invaluable insight into how best to defend you.
Under Pennsylvania law, criminal conspiracy occurs when two or more people agree to commit a crime and take at least one step toward carrying it out. That action may be small, such as purchasing tools, sending instructions, or scouting a location, and each person involved in the planning of the offense can be held responsible for the actions of the others, even if they did not personally commit the crime.
Conspiracy charges often arise in cases involving drug offenses, theft, burglary, fraud, and violent crimes. Prosecutors use this charge to hold multiple individuals accountable when they believe individuals worked together toward a criminal goal. The law focuses heavily on intent, meaning the accused must have knowingly agreed to participate in the plan with the purpose of helping it succeed.
A conspiracy conviction can carry penalties just as severe as those for committing the crime itself, even if the offense is never completed. Evidence of a plot may include messages, financial records, surveillance, or testimony from others involved. These cases can be complex and highly fact-dependent. Because even casual conversations or misunderstandings can be misconstrued, if you are facing allegations of plotting to commit an offense in Butler, you should speak with one of our criminal defense attorneys as early as possible.
One of the first steps your Butler legal team could take is to carefully evaluate the strength of the state’s evidence, as deciding on the correct defense to conspiracy charges will depend primarily on the facts of your case. Commonly used strategies include:
Most people rarely write down their intention to commit a crime, and without a formal contract between the alleged conspirators, the government can struggle to prove that each of you agreed to commit a criminal offense. Even if a conversation was had about a crime, you could argue it was hypothetical or in jest.
Many people are unaware that you can fully withdraw from a criminal conspiracy before any crime is committed. Even if your actions otherwise fulfill the requirements for a conspiracy charge, you could be proven innocent by showing that you voluntarily left the conspiracy and refused to participate further. You must, however, prove that this happened before the crime was committed.
Many attorneys choose to highlight the lack of evidence in a conspiracy case. If the prosecutor cannot establish your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, a jury must acquit you of conspiracy charges.
Facing charges of criminal conspiracy can be difficult, but there is no guarantee that you will be convicted. With the right defense team, you have the opportunity to not only beat these charges but also walk away with a clean record.
Our Butler conspiracy lawyer at Benjamin Levine Law LLC is here to help you secure the best possible outcome. Reach out to us today to learn more.