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The Best Sex Crime Lawyers in Michigan: Blank Law, PC
The Best Sex Crime Lawyers in Michigan: Blank Law, PC
Being accused of or charged with a sex crime is one of the most difficult types of criminal charges to face. Facing sex crime charges is something that can destroy your reputation, career, and family. It can also result in serious penalties, including jail time, significant fines, and becoming a registered sex offender.
If you are charged with a sex crime, you must find and hire a Michigan sex crimes lawyer. At Blank Law, PC, we can provide you with the strong sexual assault defense strategies you need while protecting confidential or sensitive information related to your case.
We understand that you have many options regarding legal representation for a sex crime charge. Our law firm is here to help ensure that you get the best representation for your needs.
An Important Note About Michigan Sex Crimes
One of the first things that anyone facing sex crime charges should understand is that evidence does not always come into play. Some of our clients believe that they won’t be convicted of the crime since there is no physical evidence related to the accusations against them.
However, this does not matter to a prosecuting attorney!
According to Michigan law, all the prosecutor needs is testimony from the alleged victim or accuser. In most situations, they can get a conviction even without this in a sex crime case.
This sounds scary, right?
Many cases that we represent at Blank Law, PC are cases of “he said, she said.” Today, prosecutors take the stance of believing the accuser at all costs. To ensure you have the best criminal sexual conduct defense for your sex crime case possible, you need to contact our sexual assault lawyers as soon as you can after being accused or arrested and charged.
Sex Crime Lawyers
At Blank Law, PC, our criminal defense team has years of experience helping clients build a strong defense against the charges against them. When you hire a sex crimes defense lawyer from our law firm, you can feel confident that we will fight aggressively for your rights.
We do not believe that all sex crime allegations are false. However, we know that there are false sexual assault charges all the time. Even in situations where the accusation is true, there could be mitigating circumstances that need to be considered when building a defense for any charge, including statutory rape, child pornography, child molestation, sexual battery, indecent exposure, or other sex crimes.
Hiring a sex crimes lawyer from Blank Law, PC will help ensure you have the best defense against the criminal charges you are facing possible. Learn how much a sex offender lawyer costs here.
Sex crimes in the state of Michigan include several situations. Some of the most common offenses we see are described above.
Facing Sex Crime Charges without Evidence
It is possible to face sex crime charges without any hard or physical evidence, which is something that is surprising to some.
For example, are the charges against you based just on the statements made by the alleged victim? Is there no hard evidence, such as witnesses, videos, and DNA? If this is the case, will you still face criminal charges?
In the state of Michigan, a statute explains how testimony from a victim does not have to be corroborated in criminal sexual conduct cases. This means if someone takes the stand and accuses you of sexual abuse, sexual assault, or other sex crimes, then the prosecutor has everything needed to convict you if the jury believes the accuser’s story.
This is not an unusual situation. Some sexual assault cases are (as mentioned above) “he-said, she-said” cases. This means no hard evidence is required. One reason for this is that many alleged victims do not report cases of sexual assault, sexual battery, statutory rape, or other sex crimes immediately. This is the case in many situations because accusers wait to report assaults. When this happens, evidence can degrade or be lost.
The goal in these cases is simple – your criminal sexual conduct attorney must build a defense that undermines the accuser’s credibility. You must take an offensive stance and provide the prosecuting attorney, jury, and/or judge with why the person accusing you should not be trusted or believed.
Polygraph Examinations After Being Accused of a Sex Crime
You will find that if you hire a Michigan sex crimes lawyer from Blank Law, PC, they will recommend that you don’t agree to a polygraph exam. This test will be beneficial in some situations, but you should always discuss this with your CSC defense attorney first.
If your attorney advises you to take this test (and we will consider all situations before making a recommendation), you will likely be administered the sex offender polygraph questions by the Michigan State Police. An important note to remember is that these examiners are not present to help get the truth. They will usually conduct this exam in an unscrupulous manner. The examiner may even state that you failed and then attempt to get a confession out of you.
Before discussing charges of sexual abuse, sexual assault, child pornography, or other sex crimes with the polygraph examiner from the State Police, we recommend going through the process with a private examiner. You can count on your Michigan sex crimes lawyer from Blank Law, PC to put you in contact with only the highest caliber of examiner, who will ensure the test is administered properly. If you pass the test successfully, we will receive a report that can be given to the prosecuting attorney. We have found that this is something that may lead to the criminal sexual conduct charges against you being dismissed.
With that said, the results will remain confidential if you fail the private polygraph. No one will know about it, and this is something that does not happen with the test administered by the State Police.
While this is true, at Blank Law, PC, we have found that in some situations, after our client takes a polygraph test successfully, it makes sense to move forward with the requested polygraph conducted by the State Police. However, this is a decision that our sexual abuse lawyers will consider carefully based on the sex offenses you have been accused of.
Sex Crimes Our Michigan Sex Crimes Lawyers Defend
In the state of Michigan, there are many types of sex crimes you can be charged with. If convicted, you may have to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life, spend time in jail, and submit to lifetime electronic monitoring. Due to how serious these penalties are, you must contact us for help with Michigan sex crimes.
Hiring sex crimes lawyers from Blank Law, PC means you have an army of legal professionals on your side and fighting aggressively for your legal rights. Learn more about some of the sex crime charges you can face and why hiring a Michigan sex crimes lawyer is a smart move in these situations.
Criminal Sexual Conduct
In Michigan, if you face sex offense charges, it will be referred to as “criminal sexual conduct” or CSC.
Four different charges are under this heading, which include:
- Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st Degree
- Criminal Sexual Conduct 2nd Degree
- Criminal Sexual Conduct 3rd Degree
- Criminal Sexual Conduct 4th Degree
CSC 1st degree charges are the most serious. The degree you are charged with depends on the alleged victim’s age when the sexual activity occurs. Additionally, it depends on if the activity included offensive touching or sexual penetration.
There are other aggravating factors, too, including the relationship between the defendant and accuser and if the sex act was consensual vs. non-sonsensual.
At Blank Law, PC, we understand there may be more to the story than what the accuser claims. Our sex crimes lawyers have years of experience dealing with these cases and are considered premier criminal defense attorneys in the area. You can count on our legal team to provide you with an aggressive defense that helps you get the best possible outcome for your case and situation.
Statutory Rape
In Michigan, the age of consent is 16 (here, the exceptions that criminalize sex with someone over 16, like if the accuser is the defendant’s student, i.e. teacher sexual misconduct, are excluded). If you are 17 and you have sex with your 15-year-old girlfriend/boyfriend, it is considered a felony (see: can criminal sexual abuse happen between two minors?). Usually, in this case, you will face CSC 3rd degree charges, which comes with a potential penalty of 15 years in prison (see: CSC 3rd degree Michigan penalty).
We agree that in some situations, this is an extreme punishment. However, the law in Michigan provides provisions for you to avoid a felony record and avoid having to be added to the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.
We encourage you to get in touch with our sex crimes lawyer and develop an attorney-client relationship as soon as you can after being charged with any of the Michigan sex crimes.
Child Sexually Abusive Material and Child Pornography
In the state of Michigan, if you are caught in possession of child pornography, it is referred to as the “possession of child sexually abusive material.” These sex crime cases are taken seriously. However, it is possible to build a solid defense with the help from our top child pornography lawyers.
One possible defense that may apply in sex crime cases involving child pornography is if the material was intentionally downloaded. Another is if someone else downloaded it to your computer or device. Your sex crime lawyer from our law firm will help you create a list of everyone who has access to the computer. This will help show that the charges may not be viable and, as a result, have them dismissed.
The fact is that there are several options to explore when it comes to creating a defense if you are charged with a sex crime.
Child Molestation
Regarding sex crimes, another charge that is taken seriously is child molestation. This is another sex offense that comes with harsh penalties.
Usually, prosecutors will pursue weak cases because of the nature of the crime. If you asked criminal defense attorneys across the state, they would likely say that fighting murder charges is often an easier process than child molestation charges.
Blank Law, PC has handled many of these cases and had them dismissed and received not guilty verdicts if the case went to trial. We understand the defenses to use in these situations and how to build a strong and solid defense for your case.
Sex Crimes Against Minors
Each year, there seem to be more and more cases of sex crimes against minors. In the modern world, adolescents acquire sexual knowledge at an early age. This knowledge often results in allegations of sex crimes against someone. One of the most vulnerable people is stepparents.
We have had situations where someone charged with a sex crime against a minor was falsely accused, and our Michigan sex crimes attorney later discovered that the motivation was to get away from the stepparent. At the same time, many people don’t realize that accusations of sexual assault, indecent exposure, and others can potentially ruin the defendant’s life. In these situations, you need our legal team, who can provide you with a strong criminal defense to help you avoid the serious penalties that come with these types of charges.
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault cases are also common in Michigan. That is because this is a term that covers several different types of allegations. While many believe that sexual assault cases only involve violent attacks, it can also refer to cases of consensual sexual activity if one person is under the age of consent. In Michigan (and many other states), this is called statutory rape.
Usually, these sex offenses will be charged as some degree of CSC. The specifications of the situation will determine the seriousness of the charges you face. Our sex crimes lawyer can work to help you build a solid defense for the charges, which is necessary since the potential penalties can be so severe (see: what is a third degree sex offender?).
Indecent Exposure
This is a crime that involves exposing private parts. It is possible to face aggravated indecent exposure charges if allegations of fondling accompany the exposure.
For those caught urinating in public, indecent exposure charges apply. If you are convicted of this crime, you will be put on the sex offender registry in many cases. It may seem somewhat mild in the realm of serious sex offenses; however, the penalties are serious. You need our sex crimes lawyer to help you build a strong defense.
Sex Crime Appeals
Sometimes, sex offenses that result in a conviction can be appealed. For several somewhat complex reasons, appeals for sex crimes have layers and dimensions that other types of appeals do not.
Usually, this means more opportunities for success. For example, some cases have been overturned based on police testimony vouching for the accuser, inadmissible hearsay testimony, and improper testimony from an expert.
In other situations, these types of things would not receive much attention. However, we can use these factors to help you appeal your conviction successfully.
Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry
The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is complex. It is part of the punitive system that can greatly impact your life now and in the future. Your name, picture, address, and entire criminal history will be on the internet. If you are on this registry, you cannot work or live close to schools and must register with the police. Learn about the consequences of failing to register as a sex offender here.
For many people, being on this registry is humiliating. As an experienced sex crime lawyer, we understand how this can impact your life. We will work to help ensure you have a strong criminal defense for the charges you are facing. When it comes to any sex offenses, you can’t afford to take chances. You need criminal defense attorneys who know the law and how to help you with your case. At Blank Law, PC, we offer all clients a free consultation to discuss the sex offenses they are charged with and to begin building a strong criminal defense for their case.
Lifetime Electronic Monitoring
While being on the sex offender registry is one of the penalties that most people discuss, there is another consequence of sex offenses in Michigan that is not discussed as often – this is lifetime electronic monitoring.
In these situations, you may have to submit to lifetime electronic monitoring. This means you must wear a tether and be monitored by the police or government for the remainder of your life. This is the case even if you have served your full sentence.
A better way to make this understood is that “Big Brother is watching you.” As experienced criminal defense attorneys at Blank Law, PC, we understand how disheartening this can be. That is why we work to help you get the best defense possible for your case. The first step is to contact us for a free consultation.
Winning Defense Strategies for Your Sex Crime Cases
When you contact us for help with your sex offense charge, we will get to work right away to build a strong criminal defense on your behalf. We have several defense strategies that can be used for your case. Some of the examples of the potential defenses that we can use include the following:
- Determining if the police handled the physical evidence in your case properly
- If the accuser has any motive to fabricate the accusations against you
- If the police made mistakes during their sexual assault investigation
- If the accuser underwent sensitive questioning, which may cause a false memory to be implanted
- If the accuser in the situation has accused someone in the past
Contact Our Legal Team for Help with Your Sex Crime Charges
Attorney Nicole Blank Becker and her team at Blank Law, PC understand the impact that a sex crime conviction can have on your life. We encourage you to contact our experienced and reputable attorneys to help build a strong and solid defense.
Call us at (248) 515-6583 at any time, day or night, to get started with our legal services. You can also email our firm through our website.
We understand how overwhelming sex crime charges can be. Our team has years of experience representing those accused of these serious crimes and can provide the defense strategy you want and need.
Do not risk your freedom and life by proceeding without proper legal representation. We are here to help and put our expertise and experience to work for you. Call now!