In the wake of the #MeToo movement, any accusation of sexual assault can’t be taken lightly, especially when it comes college students.
A five-year study conducted by United Educators found a significant increase in the number of claims brought against colleges and universities by alleged perpetrators of sexual assault. Of all claims looked at in the five-year study, 100 percent of the alleged perpetrators were male.
Whether they are true or false, any accusation of sexual assault or sex crimes should be investigated and if anyone is accused of or charged with a sex crime, he/she is mostly likely going to need some sort of legal representation.
For those who have been charged with a sex crime, having charges brought against you can be very stressful, especially if you’re at a loss as to how to protect yourself from penalties or jail. You can always choose to represent yourself in a case, but an experienced criminal defense attorney can help an accused person navigate the twists and turns of the legal system and help them have a chance to tell their side of the story.
For people who have been charged with a sex crime, here are five ways a criminal defense attorney can benefit you:
- Experience in defense: An experienced criminal defense attorney knows the ins-and-outs of criminal law and how to deal with the court system. Criminal defense attorneys also have experience building solid defense cases for those facing sex charges and other crimes. Having a criminal defense attorney who can examine facts and evidence and provide quality legal representation can be a real boost to anyone who is accused of a crime.
- Penalty protection: Depending on what a person is charged with and their history with the law, a prosecutor can come down hard on someone accused of a crime, even if they were falsely accused. A criminal defense attorney can protect an accused person from harsh penalties and help negotiate deals. An attorney can also help acquit an accused person of false charges and protect someone against unfair sentencing.
- They do the talking: Hiring a criminal defense attorney ensures that any law enforcement officials have to talk to them first rather than talking to you. This prevents you from being forced to give testimony against your will and making choices you may later regret. Having legal counsel in your corner ensures that you’ll have someone to help walk you through the legal process instead of implicating yourself under duress.
- Saving time: It’s been established that those charged with a sex crime deal with the stress of being charged. This can be especially true if someone has been falsely accused of a crime. Criminal defense lawyers can help ease the stress by saving you time. Since they know the criminal justice system, they can help speed up proceedings.
- Strategizing: Every case is different, even for those charged with a sex crime and that requires lawyers to be able to prepare different defense strategies. Experienced lawyers will be able to look at the evidence in your case, the events surrounding it and the circumstances and come up with the appropriate strategy to help you. Based on the strategy, a defense attorney will know the best way to help you and represent you.
Facing criminal charges of any kind can be a scary proposition, but hiring the right attorney can have numerous benefits going forward. Sites like Nolo.com can help you find an attorney for your case.
