Will You Beat the Charge if You Were Intoxicated Or Stoned on Drugs
Many people seem to think a person on trial in a criminal case may likely go free because of being drunk or high on drugs when he or she committed a crime.
Defendants who want to escape their charge in this way will often claim their mental functioning was so out of whack that they cannot be held accountable for what they did.
Usually, however, voluntary intoxication does not excuse criminal conduct. People are well aware that alcohol and drugs affect their mental functioning, and thus they should be held legally responsible if they commit crimes as a result of their voluntary actions.
Some states allow an exception to this general rule. For instance where committing the crime required specific intent to bring about certain specific consequences When that happens the defendant can argue that he was too drunk or high to have had that intent.
Normally this is considered will only take you part way because it doesn’t entirely excuse the defendant’s actions. In this situation the defendant will usually be convicted of lesser crime that doesn’t need proof of a specific intent - for example, assault with a deadly weapon instead of assault with the intent to commit murder.
Steven Louth is a Weld County DUI lawyer who exclusively practices Criminal Defense Law. If you need the help of an exceptionally experienced and dedicated attorney contact Steven Louth for a free case evaluation - 303-442-2297
