When news of a violent crime breaks, it may be difficult for people in McKinney not to come to a rush to judgment of the person accused of it. Similarly, law enforcement officials may (due to the nature of the alleged offense) attempt to charge a suspect with every possible offense that they believe the circumstances of the crime merit. In such situations, it is important to remember that despite the emotion being felt by those familiar with crime, the person charged with perpetrating it (or participating in it) should still only face criminal charges in accordance with what their alleged action would warrant.
The recent case of a Tyler woman illustrates where questions may exist regarding the charges one faces in comparison to their supposed actions. Authorities allege that the woman and two accomplices planned to rob a person who had solicited the woman as a prostitute. Yet during the alleged robbery, the victim pulled a gun out and fired several shots (one of which hit one of the accused accomplices in the head. Law enforcement officials report that the woman and her remaining accomplice pulled their injured partner from the vehicle and left him on the side of the road, then opted to flee rather than call for medical assistance. The man later died. The woman has since been arrested and charged with (among other things) murder.
One might argue that the woman’s alleged actions (and inaction) in this case merit a murder charge. Yet where she supposedly was not the one to shoot the man, others might question whether such a charge is warranted. Criminal defendants in cases like this need to ensure that authorities do not stack charges against them. A criminal defense attorney help make sure this does not happen.
