A Merrimack, New Hampshire woman has been charged after lying to police about an alleged crime. Thirty-three year old Kristin Miller told officers that she was stabbed by an unknown assailant while at her mailbox last month. After police uncovered evidence that Miller’s story was fabricated, she was charged with a class A misdemeanor of giving a false report to law enforcement — the penalty for which is up to one year in jail. Miller’s stab wounds were reportedly self-inflicted.
Medical personnel, fire and law enforcement were called to Miller’s home after the January 27th incident, where she recounted how a man had attacked her. She later received treatment, including surgery, at St. Joseph Hospital while police searched for a now at-large assailant. In the course of the investigation, police stopped vehicles and k-9 units tracked footprints in the snow.
“The information [given by Miller] was later discovered by investigators to be false… based on evidence recovered by said investigators.” It is yet unclear how investigators came to the determination that Miller’s story was fabricated and what the evidence is that induced that determination. It is clear that an arrest warrant was issued, and Miller was arrested and subsequently released on $1,000 personal recognizance. Arraignment is scheduled for February 22, 2018.
Revelations like these only serve to buoy the arguments of criminal defense advocates. The roles of victim and criminal are not always clear cut. Had the revelation not come to light, and a suspect been arrested or even charged, an innocent man or woman could have faced jail time on the grounds of a false allegation.
Investigators do not always uncover the evidence necessary to exonerate innocent suspects, which underscores the importance of criminal defense attorneys. Even though criminal suspects are innocent until proven guilty, there is an arguable bias that exists toward them in court – while victims, regardless of the verity of their statements, benefit from the potential sympathy of a jury. Poor recollection, exaggeration, and wrongful accusations can occur at almost any point of a criminal investigation or trial. Sometimes, in the pursuit of a resolution, especially after an unsettling crime for which a community wants closure, hasty rulings can be made sending innocent people to jail – simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. New Hampshire criminal defense attorneys fight to ensure none of the rights of the accused are violated in the course of the state’s investigation and trial.
Cases like Miller’s, if true, can put innocent men and women behind bars. We have an imperfect but serviceable criminal justice system. Furthermore, crime and punishment is a complex legal area, a defense against which requires a nuanced understanding of the law and years of legal expertise. Being accused of a crime is not a one-way ticket to jail. An accusation, wrongful or based only in half-truths, can be successfully thwarted with the aid of the right attorney.
If you have been charged with a crime in the state of New Hampshire, immediately contact New Hampshire criminal defense attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. We are here to advocate your rights and your defense.