What Are Some Of The Most Common Types Of Sex Crime Cases That Your Firm Typically Would See Or Handle?
My firm handles all types of sex crime cases ranging from fifth degree to first degree. Fifth degree is essentially an inappropriate touching of a private area. This is a gross misdemeanor. Whereas first degree criminal sexual conduct is the most serious charge, involving injury and other factors.
My firm has handed every type of criminal sexual conduct case that exists. It’s hard to say which one I do the most, because it depends on who’s coming through the door. Fifth degrees are much more prevalent now than they ever used to be. Most cases fall in the third degree category, though, which is a felony. Third degree cases are very serious and you can go to prison for that because there are elements of physical harm.
If You Suspect You May Be Arrested In Minnesota On Sexual Assault Charges, Should You Hire A Minneapolis Sex Crime Defense Attorney Now Or Wait Until After You’re Arrested?
The faster you hire an attorney when you suspect you may be arrested on a sexual assault charge, the better. This is true with sex crimes more than any other crime due to the severity of the accusations and the extreme consequences if found guilty. The facts are often messy and the evidence is often not all there.
People have a tendency to want to tell their side of the story. If you’re being investigated for a sex crime and law enforcement wants to talk to you, 99 times out of 100, they have a hole in their case that they want to fill and they want you to fill it for them. As much as you want to tell your side of the story, you could be incriminating yourself if you give a statement to the police. You never know what the police know or what information they may already have. Whatever you say to law enforcement in the beginning cannot be taken back.
Just by not providing information, there are many times that things can come up which will keep you from not being charged with a very serious criminal sexual conduct. While I can’t go into any specifics, there are a lot of times when things can happen that will make law enforcement reluctant to charge the case or put it forward for charging.
If you go in and give your statement, you could be filling in the holes for them to make it possible for them to charge you. You’re helping lay the groundwork for the state to build their case against you. It’s crucial that you don’t do this because sex crimes are crimes where there doesn’t need to be other evidence or corroborating evidence of the crime.
However, there are a lot of times where law enforcement still wants to see corroboration just because that’s kind of the nature of the offense. The cases are always complicated, the evidence is often difficult, and having an experienced attorney right away can make all the difference in whether or not you’re even charged.
I saw a comic once that depicted two guys sitting in a jail cell and one said to the other, “I thought the truth would set me free but, really, the truth doesn’t set you free if you admit to the police that you were somewhere they didn’t even think you were.”
It’s just best not to give statements to law enforcement, even though our human nature gives us a desire to tell our side of the story as early and as often as we can. Always speak with an attorney before speaking with law enforcement.
If you hire an attorney, you can talk about your situation without worrying about whatever you say coming back to haunt you. One of the most important roles an attorney can play is to be a sounding board for people so that when they feel the need to talk about something and get it off their chest, they have someone to go to who can’t repeat anything they’ve said.
Law enforcement will be on top of the case quickly, looking to get statements and to keep you talking until you potentially say something to incriminate yourself. An attorney can step in and tell law enforcement that they don’t want them to take any statement from their client or that they will be present for any statement. An attorney can advise you on what statement to give, especially if you don’t know what the allegations are.
The laws in Minnesota are written such that law enforcement can’t tell you what the allegations against you are. It’s a situation where you can’t advise someone, but it’s better that an attorney tells law enforcement you won’t be giving a statement than for you to say you won’t give a statement. This is because the statement you make regarding refusal to give a statement can also come back and be admissible against you.
Even the lowest level of fifth degree criminal sexual assault conduct case for an improper touching has serious ramifications if anyone sees that on your record. To know what’s going on is very important. It can take months for cases to be charged if there’s DNA evidence or anything. If they don’t have enough to charge you, that case could linger for a long time. It’s very important to have someone who can advise you not to talk to law enforcement or anyone else about the case. Anyone you talk to, outside of your attorney, can turn into a witness against you.
With the guidance of a skilled attorney for Sex Crimes Law, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that we’ll make it look easy.
For more information on Sex Crimes Law in Minnesota, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (612) 338-5545 today.
