Title: How Could I Get My Criminal Charges Dropped? | CriminalDefenseLawyer.com
Headings: Getting a Criminal Charge Dismissed
Getting a Criminal Charge Dismissed
Many cases are dismissed before a plea or trial. Learn about the common reasons why.
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No Probable Cause to Arrest
Mistake in Criminal Complaint
Illegal Stop or Search
Insufficient Evidence
Unavailable Witness or Lost Evidence
Prosecutor's Discretion
After a Successful Appeal
A Bad Arrest or Search
Insufficient Evidence to Support the Jury's Finding
No Jurisdiction
Consult an Attorney

Content: For more information on illegal stops and searches, see When Can the Police Search My Car? and Search Warrants: What They Are and When They Are Necessary. Insufficient Evidence
If a defendant is arrested and charges are pending against him, the prosecutor must present the case to a grand jury or a judge and show that the prosecution has enough evidence to establish probable cause to believe the defendant committed a crime. As with arrests, the evidence must show an objective, factual basis for believing that the defendant committed the crime. If the grand jury or the judge do not find probable cause, then the charges must be dismissed. when prosecutors have very limited evidence against a defendant in a criminal case, they may conclude that they do not have enough evidence to move forward in the case and dismiss the charges on their own. Unavailable Witness or Lost Evidence
If a key witness in a criminal case is unavailable to testify or the prosecution loses important physical evidence, the prosecutor may have no choice but to dismiss the case because there is not enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In some cases, physical evidence is so important that, without it, the prosecutor cannot prove the case. If a witness disappears, dies, or refuses to testify on Fifth Amendment grounds (because his testimony may incriminate him, in that it shows that he also committed a crime), the prosecutor may not have enough evidence without the witness' testimony.