Those who stand accused of committing forgery in the state of Ohio may face significant consequences if they are ultimately convicted. In other words, this is not a charge to take lightly. What can a criminal law attorney do to assist someone facing such accusations?
Forgery comes in many forms. There is copying art and selling it as original work. There is making fake documents. There is signing someone else’s name to a document without his or her authorization — among other things.
In order for prosecuting attorneys to achieve convictions, they have to prove that certain elements exist in any given case. If any required components are missing, charges generally have to be dismissed. The two elements needed to convict on a forgery charge are:
- Proof that an item was forged
- Evidence that the forgery was done with the intent to defraud
Another form of forgery is identity theft. This requires false impersonation, theft by deception and forgery aspects to exist for a person accused of this type of crime to be convicted. Of course, anymore, identity theft is generally treated as its own crime with its own penalties.
An experienced criminal law attorney can guide those who are facing forgery charges in the state of Ohio through their court proceedings and can answer any questions they might have, allowing them to make informed decisions about their cases. Legal counsel will know what questions to ask when evidence is presented and will do everything possible to poke holes in the prosecuting attorney’s case. With the right legal strategy, case dismissal or at least a reduction in charges and associated penalties may be possible.