Top Criminal Sexual Conduct Attorney: Nicole Blank Becker

Being investigated or charged with a sex crime is among the most emotionally draining experiences a person and their family could ever go through.

Nowadays, sex crimes are the top story on every news outlet. Being charged with a sex crime is worse than being charged with murder. The public often forgets that when a person is facing criminal sexual conduct charges, that does not automatically mean that the person is guilty of the offense they face.

Some criminal charges result from false sex crime allegations. It is not uncommon to find family disagreements or failed relationships resulting in false allegations of sexual assault.

Michigan laws are very tough on sexual assault cases. Even a person who is falsely accused of CSC can end up with a conviction if the accused does not properly and carefully find the right representation. Someone being accused of a sex crime or investigated for a sex crime must be very careful in choosing the right representation for their case.

Criminal Sexual Conduct Attorney

If you face sex crime charges in Michigan, or anywhere else in the United States, attorney Nicole Blank Becker, of Blank Law, PC, is the lawyer you need to trust with your case. Before choosing Nicole, it is important to know what makes her one of the best sex offender lawyers for defending your criminal sexual conduct charges.

Experience in Sex Crime Cases

When choosing a sex crimes lawyer, you must consider the lawyer’s experience with sex crime cases. You need a lawyer with extensive knowledge of the field of law that you are charged with, especially when it comes to sexual assault charges.

Michigan sex crime laws can be very complicated. They require special knowledge of this area of the law and require a lawyer with deep insight into sexual assault crimes to defend you successfully. The truth is that all lawyers are not equal, and a lawyer that focuses on criminal sexual assault charges sets themself apart from the others.

Some questions you may need to ask yourself when hiring a lawyer for your sex crime case include:

1. How long has the lawyer been in practice handling sexual assault cases?
2. What is the number of sexual assault cases they have handled compared to other types of charges?
3. How successful do their clients believe they were in defending them?

When it comes to experience, attorney Nicole Blank Becker has over 20 years of practice in Michigan criminal law.

• She began her career at the Legal Aid Defender Office in Detroit, where she handled sexual assault cases.
• Next, Nicole worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Detroit, Michigan, where she covered difficult trials, which included sex crimes.
• After years at the prosecutor’s office in Wayne County, Nicole continued her service as an assistant prosecutor in Macomb County, where she spent years in the Sex Crimes Unit.
• She then served as the Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit and the Child Abuse Unit.

Nicole’s experience with sex crime law gives her a deeper insight into sexual assault cases, which separates her from her peers.

For the past 10+ years, sexual assault cases are ALL Nicole has done, and that is the only thing she still focuses on today.

Starting at the investigation stage, Nicole knows exactly how to handle criminal sexual conduct cases from their inception. The investigation stage is an integral part of the process that Nicole gets involved in. Due to the fact that she has had extensive experience on both sides of the law, being on the prosecution and the defense side, she brings a unique perspective to every sexual assault case that she takes on.

When determining if Nicole’s clients are satisfied with her services or if she is well respected in the community, all you have to do is ask around. Nicole makes her clients and their families a high priority. She understands that sex crime cases turn someone’s life, and their families’ lives, upside down.

Nicole prides herself on being honest and open with not only her clients but also other attorneys who look to her for her years of experience with sex crime cases. Helping and being there for her clients is of the utmost importance to her.

Understanding Sex Crime Laws

Wondering what is criminal sexual conduct?

Michigan law classifies criminal sexual conduct (CSC) crimes into four different CSC degrees, depending on the severity and the circumstances of the sexual offense claimed.

The four different degrees are:

● Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st Degree

● Criminal Sexual Conduct 2nd Degree

● Criminal Sexual Conduct 3rd Degree

● Criminal Sexual Conduct 4th Degree

Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st Degree

1st degree CSC is the most severe of all criminal sexual conduct offenses in Michigan. A person is guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct if:

• They engage in penetration with a minor under the age of 13
• They engage in penetration with a person aged 13 to 15 or if the defendant is related to the complainant or is a teacher or any other person in a position of authority in the school where the minor is a student
• The defendant was engaged in another felony during the commission of the sex offense
• The complainant is disabled, physically incapacitated, related by blood or affinity to the defendant, the defendant has authority over the claimant, or if another person helped in the commission of the criminal sexual conduct act

If convicted of first-degree CSC, with a victim under the age of 13, the CSC 1st-degree Michigan penalty for the offender will be a felony punishable by no less than 25 years in prison, as a mandatory minimum sentencing.

The penalty for this class of sex offenses, if the victim is 13 and older, is that the offender will be guilty of a felony punishable by up to life in prison, with no mandatory minimum. The offender may also be subjected to lifetime electronic monitoring, depending on the complainant’s age in relation to the crime.

Criminal Sexual Conduct 2nd Degree

Second-degree CSC is the most severe form of a sex offense involving unwanted touching or sexual contact of another person’s private parts, no matter if it’s over or under their clothing, in Michigan.

A person shall be guilty of second-degree CSC if there is unwanted touching of a person’s intimate parts, such as buttocks, breast area, genitals, inside of the thigh, or the clothing covering any of these areas for sexual gratification.

A second-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction results in a felony that is punishable for no more than 15 years. The CSC 2nd-degree Michigan penalty may also be subjected to lifetime electronic monitoring, depending on the complainant’s age in relation to the crime.

Criminal Sexual Conduct 3rd Degree

According to Michigan law, a person shall be guilty of 3rd-degree CSC if:

• One engages in sexual intercourse with a person aged between 13 and 16
• The defendant used force or coercion to achieve sexual penetration
• The defendant is armed or appeared to be armed during the commission of the offense
• Sexual penetration of a mentally incapacitated or physically helpless person while knowing the person’s condition
• You are related by blood or affinity to the complainant
• They are a teacher and the complainant is their student, being aged between 16 and 18 unless the two are legally married; the same applies to persons in a position of authority in the school where the complainant is between 16 and 18 years old
• The defendant is a teacher or has authority in a facility where the complainant is receiving special education and is aged between 16 to 26 unless they are legally married

Third-degree CSC is also known as statutory rape and is the most common criminal sexual conduct charge. A third-degree CSC charge will result in a felony, upon conviction, and carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

What most attorneys who do not handle sex cases regularly don’t tell you is that 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct charges carry a mandatory minimum of one year in prison. If a defense attorney does not tell you about this CSC 3rd-degree Michigan penalty, it should be a huge red flag that whoever you are interviewing as a potential attorney does not regularly do sexual assault cases.

Criminal Sexual Conduct 4th Degree

Fourth-degree CSC is the least severe of all Michigan criminal sexual conduct offenses and involves unconsented sexual touching.

A person shall be guilty of CSC in the 4th degree if the suspect touched another person’s private parts, over the age of 15, either under or over their clothes.

Upon a conviction, the CSC 4th degree Michigan penalty will result in the offender being guilty of a high misdemeanor/low felony and is punishable by a maximum of two years in prison, a fine of not more than $500, or both.

Michigan criminal sexual conduct laws are complex, with the above being a simple breakdown of the four degrees. A lawyer who has been in the trenches and focused only on sex crimes will be your best defense in fighting for your future.

If you or someone you know is being investigated or committed criminal sexual conduct, it is best to talk to a sex crimes lawyer who focuses on sex crimes as soon as possible.

Sex Offender Registry

Besides possible jail time, a person convicted of sexual assault is subjected to sex offender registration on the Michigan sex offender registry. Being on the Michigan sex offender registry means losing your privacy and having a bad reputation following you wherever you go.

Once your name is on the sex offender registry, any person can look up the list of registered sex offenders and see your information, including what you were convicted of. Anyone can look at the sex offender registry and also see who is living in their neighborhood.

Besides having a bad reputation, being on the registry means limited job opportunities, problems finding rental accommodations, and restrictions on when or where you can travel.

Considering the potential penalties for criminal sexual conduct convictions, choosing an attorney should be a calculated decision. Any wrong move and you can have the rest of your life forever changed, even when you may not be guilty.

The following are the qualities you get when hiring Blank Law, PC:

1. Compassion

Facing a sexual assault charge can get the best of the strongest person. Unfortunately, people facing criminal sexual conduct charges often find themselves on their own, isolated, and almost everyone presuming guilty before conviction.

Under such circumstances having a shoulder to lean on can bring much comfort to the person facing the charges. Unfortunately, some lawyers may be only out to make money, leaving the defendant with almost nowhere to turn.

Clients who have worked with Nicole Blank Becker in the past know that she goes beyond her role as a sex crimes lawyer to offer a listening ear to her clients. This is because she has seen it all throughout her practice and as the chief of the Sex Crime Unit and Child Abuse Unit.

Nicole knows that facing charges of sexual assault doesn’t automatically mean a person is guilty of the offenses they are charged with. She has seen firsthand that children can be coached to tell a lie or an exaggerated version of the real story. Nicole has even seen mothers and/or fathers use their children as a pawns in custody battles, claiming a sexual assault occurred just to get full custody of the child. She understands the world of sexual assault charges and treats every client like any other person who walks through her door looking for help.

Nicole does not base how she handles someone’s case due to the charges they could be facing. Nicole believes everyone deserves good legal representation and an honest chance to be heard.

2. Aggressiveness

The courtroom is not the place for timidity. Aggression in the courtroom, and sometimes out of the courtroom, is a must.

Oftentimes, the aggressiveness of a lawyer has a significant impact on the outcomes of a case. Being aggressive doesn’t mean being loud or being pushy, it means standing tough against the monstrosity of the prosecution. It means not giving up when the prosecution isn’t budging and building a strong defense.

Sex crime charges are usually emotionally charged. An aggressive defense attorney must rise above emotion to build the most powerful case against the opponent. It takes a certain skill to be able to be appropriately aggressive while not rubbing interested parties the wrong way.

Attorney Nicole Blank Becker has done thousands of jury trials since the beginning of her career, which is over 20 years ago. She has tried tons of criminal sexual conduct cases in the courtroom, and she has run circles around her opponents. Additionally, she is renowned by virtually all of the judges and prosecutors she has practiced in front of through their interactions in the cases she has defended, thus commanding a lot of respect.

Aggressiveness can only come from knowledge of the ins and outs of sex crimes and the specific crime in question, and Nicole possesses both of those traits.

Mistakes can be costly in sex crimes cases. Nicole Blank Becker has just the right amount of aggressiveness, tenacity, and knowledge to effectively fight for you in your criminal sexual conduct case.

3. Honesty and Straightforwardness

Honesty is among the top qualities you will need to look for in a lawyer. There are thousands of stories about how different people have gotten raw deals from lawyers or have had a lawyer promising more than they could deliver.

A great lawyer should look at all aspects of your case and give you the best advice based on their evaluation and experience representing individuals with similar criminal offenses. A lawyer who acts like they know what they are doing when it comes to sex cases, but has no credentials to back it up, is simply doing you a huge disservice.

This is why Nicole offers an initial free consultation to all her clients so she can go through all the details of a case and give her honest, straightforward opinion about your case. She prides herself on detailing all the potential outcomes a defendant should expect.

A dismissal is the number one goal when it comes to sexual assault cases. With that said, as a defendant, it is important to know that a good outcome doesn’t always mean having your charges completely dropped; it may mean having your charges significantly reduced.

For example, you could be facing a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge that carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. Through Nicole’s honesty, hard work, and experience, it is possible to have a mandatory minimum reduced to no mandatory minimum or, depending on the crime, reduced to a second, third, or even a fourth degree. For some, this is a win, and Nicole will be straightforward with you and tell you if that is an option in your case.

4. Great Communication Skills

Navigating a sex crime charge calls for listening and speaking. While every criminal defense lawyer can communicate, not all have the skills needed for a case of such a serious nature, like a CSC charge.

An appropriate lawyer for a sex crime case must have excellent verbal and written communication. Both are critical in building a solid case and defense. The right lawyer can also introduce reasonable doubt to the jurors through persuasive communication and get the most out of cross-examining witnesses and complainants.

Dealing with alleged victims of sexual abuse is very sensitive. A criminal defense attorney with great communication skills and experience will know how to handle criminal sexual assault cases without subjecting the alleged victim to undue stress, especially if they are minors, while still retrieving the information they need from them.

Communication skills do not just happen, they come from years and years of experience and being able to anticipate the opponent’s next move.

Attorney Nicole Blank Becker possesses both the ability to anticipate the prosecution’s next move and years of experience through her practice on both sides of the law. Nicole is also an active listener, which ensures she doesn’t miss any communication from her clients, the prosecution, and the defendant. Additionally, her goal is to build a strong attorney-client relationship to help her clients feel at ease when sharing their side of the story, which is critical to building a strong defense.

When working with Nicole, you can be sure that confidential or sensitive information will be safe with her and would never be shared with anyone, except at your request.

The ability to communicate with not only Nicole’s clients, but a judge or a jury, is a critical part of her practice. This skill has been honed into and mastered by Nicole every time she is in the courtroom. A skill that can ONLY be mastered with the thousands of jury trials she has done in her career.

Let Criminal Defense Attorney Nicole Blank Becker Help You with Your Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges

There is too much at stake when a person is charged with a criminal sexual conduct charge without a knowledgeable lawyer who has done tons of sexual assault cases. If you do not properly hire the right criminal defense attorney NOW, you will regret it in the future. When the stakes are high, it pays to hire the best. You and your future are worth it!

For residents of Michigan and its environs, Michigan criminal defense attorney Nicole Blank Becker of the Blank Law, PC, is the lawyer to hire when facing any form of criminal sexual conduct charges. Nicole’s practice in Michigan, and other states, spans more than 20 years. Her record and qualities speak for themselves, as seen in this article. So, if you are facing an investigation for any type of sexual assault crime, don’t hesitate to call Blank Law, PC defense firm at (248) 515-6583 or reach us online to book a free consultation and have Nicole Blank Becker on your side.