I have always been someone who loves to stay on the right side of justice, which is probably why I shied away from hanging out with the wrong crowd all growing up. Unfortunately, I found myself with someone when they committed a criminal act a few years ago, and it really hurt my case. It was amazing to see just how damaging those initial charges were to my self-confidence, and I knew that I had to do something to make things right. I began focusing on working with the right lawyer to clear my name, and within a few days, things were looking up. Check out this website to learn more about criminal attorneys.
3 Ways That You Could Be Guilty Of Assisting In A Suicide
It can be a difficult position to find yourself when someone you care about is severely ill and wishes to end his or her life. In some cases, this person may confide to you that he or she wishes to commit suicide, and perhaps even attempts to recruit you to help in some manner. You should always abstain from getting involved in this situation in any way, but when you're acutely aware of the person's pain and despair, a momentary lapse in judgment could prompt you to help — and this could potentially lead to a charge of assisting in a suicide. If you've done any of these things, you'll definitely need a criminal defense attorney.
1. Bought Something To Use
It's possible that you may have bought something for the person to use as a way of committing suicide. For example, if the person had planned to kill himself or herself by taking an overdose of medication, but was so ill that he or she was unable to visit the pharmacy to purchase the drugs, you may have gone on the person's behalf. Providing something that the person used to end his or her life means that you've assisted in the suicide to some degree.
2. Encouraged The Person
Even the simple act of encouraging the person to commit suicide, especially if you've assisted in other ways, can be enough to charge you with assisting in a suicide. If you verbally encouraged the person, the police probably don't have evidence of this conversation. However, if you sent a text message, email, or online chat message with words of encouragement, and a family member of the suicide victim was able to save this correspondence, it could be difficult evidence to fight against in court.
3. Helped Transport The Person
Another way that you could be charged with assisting in a suicide is by transporting the person to an area in which he or she had planned to end his or her life. For example, if the person decided that he or she wished to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge or a cliff, but was unable to get to this location alone, the person may have recruited you to provide the transportation. While it's possible that you might have taken this trip without telling people, evidence in the form of traffic cameras may suggest that you aided in the suicide in this capacity.
For more information, contact your local criminal defense attorney services.