An alibi is evidence that someone was elsewhere during a crime, proving their innocence. It can be difficult to construct a good alibi, but evidence such as surveillance footage or bank records can help. Alibi requests are investigated by law enforcement, and innocent people should never be convicted. Some companies offer alibi services, but they will not assist in illegal acts.
In Latin, “alibi” literally means “somewhere else”. In a court of law, it means that someone was far enough away from the scene of a crime that they could not have committed it, and the individual is therefore innocent. Many people attempt to establish an alibi as part of a defense mode, because a demonstrable alibi indicates that someone is innocent and can lead to a decision to drop the charges. However, as you might imagine, it can be difficult to construct a good alibi.
In a classic example of an alibi, Person X is accused of committing a crime, but Person Y comes forward and says he was with Person X at the time of the crime. This alibi could be provable if evidence could be presented to support the claim made by person Y. For example, if the two ate out at a restaurant, they could have been caught on surveillance cameras, or a credit card receipt could demonstrate that the two sat together. If a waiter could confirm his claim that they ate together on the night of the crime in question, this in combination with the supporting evidence could lead to a decision to drop the charges.
More commonly, people have partial alibis that wouldn’t hold up in court. Typically, such alibi requests are investigated by law enforcement, and law enforcement personnel determine whether or not the request holds up. Typically, an alibi investigation is conducted well before a case is brought to court, as everyone wants to avoid the expense and wasted time involved in trying the wrong person.
Anyone accused of a crime has access to a lawyer in most regions. One of the first questions a lawyer may ask is whether or not the person has an alibi. A good lawyer will walk someone through her record on the night in question to gather evidence that could be used to back up an alibi. Something as seemingly inconsequential as withdrawing cash at an automatic teller machine (ATM) could prove to be the core of an alibi, since bank records and ATM records could show that it wasn’t physically possible for someone to commit a crime.
Of course, there are other defenses to prove innocence. In a well-run legal system, an innocent person should ideally never be convicted of a crime, even if wrongful convictions do occur. In addition to working to establish an alibi, a defense team typically pursues other lines of inquiry to confirm someone’s innocence.
Some companies offer people alibi services, usually for people who want to hide illicit relationships or dealings. Such companies can create receipts and other documents to prove someone’s presence at a location, and they can offer phone redirection and similar services. Most companies that offer these types of services make it clear that they will not assist people who commit illegal acts; Since alibi services are ultimately traceable, if you plan to kill someone, don’t count on an alibi service to help you evade punishment.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
