Petersburg Sex Crimes Lawyer
Being charged with a sex crime is intimidating because they can have a disastrous impact on your life from the moment you are arrested or allegations are made. It affects your job opportunities, affects your housing, puts a constraint on your freedom, and hurts your family. Every sex crime involves sensitive, private information that people do not typically want to be presented to the public. There is also a stigma attached to anyone that is charged or convicted of a sex crime with serious repercussions, so building a defense to these charges with a Petersburg sex crimes attorney early on is essential.
Being charged with a sexual offense is a sensitive topic with a lot of legal nuances and factual details that have to be sifted through. An experienced defense attorney is necessary to navigate those nuances and details to find the relevant information that may impact to your case.
Sex Crimes Offenses
There are a variety of sex crimes in Petersburg. Sex crimes are generally defined as a sexual act on a person that has not given or is not capable of giving consent. Common examples of sex crimes are rape, statutory rape, sexual battery, and aggravated sexual battery.
The acts that constitute a sex crime will be considered felonies or misdemeanors and may vary. Rape, statutory rape, sexual battery, and aggravated sexual battery are the most common charged. Within those charges, however, there are factual differences that change the specific way in which each crime is charged and the penalties associated.
Rape can carry a penalty of five years to life imprisonment. The penalty for statutory rape can be up to five years of incarceration, as well. Sexual battery is a Class 1 misdemeanor and the penalty could be up to 12 months incarceration. The penalty for an aggravated sexual battery is up to 20 years in jail. All of these crimes also carry fines and court costs, if convicted.
Investigations
Sex crime investigations can be more meticulous and sensitive than investigations may be for other matters. These investigations will involve sensitive information and testimony. When these cases go to trial, they tend to rely more heavily on testimony than on physical evidence.
Sex crimes can be based completely on testimony or evidence, which is atypical in most felony cases. Without physical evidence, it is important to have a skilled Petersburg sex crimes lawyer that understands how to question and talk with different witnesses. It is also important that the attorney understand their client’s testimony and their situation to help them with the best defense possible.
Working with a Petersburg Sex Crimes Attorney
Due to the severity of sex crimes, you need a lawyer who is going to be powerful in their advocacy, which can only be provided by knowledgeable, skillful, and zealous Petersburg sex crimes attorneys. When facing a charge for a sex crime, it is important to have an attorney that you can trust and who will defend your rights and help you navigate the criminal justice system.
With the stigma associated with a sex crime offense, it is important to have a sex crimes attorney in Petersburg that believes in you, and that you believe in. You need an attorney in Petersburg that you can build a bond with and feel comfortable that they are fighting for you, your interest, and your interests alone.
