Richmond Sex Crimes Prosecution
If you have been charged with a sex crimes offense, you may have questions about what to expect from the Richmond sex crimes prosecution. Sex offenses are taken seriously in Richmond, and often the prosecution and the judges push for the maximum penalties and sentences allowed. While this may sound daunting, a qualified sex crimes lawyer could help. A skilled local attorney may be familiar with the local court system and have established relationships with the judges and the prosecutors. Your attorney could draw upon these relationships when pleading your case and could work tirelessly to ensure that you receive the best possible outcome based on your circumstances.
Aggressiveness of Prosecution When Prosecuting Sex Crimes
Depending on the sex crime, they can be prosecuted very aggressively. If it is a victimless crime which could be a failure to register or something like that, they may not be prosecuted aggressively. They tend to give the person at least one opportunity to get it fixed and they may reduce felonies to misdemeanors if they have a reason to.
For instance, on victimless offenses, they will prosecute the person but they may also be willing to work with the person in certain situations. However, if it is a crime involving an alleged victim, then they are going to prosecute the person aggressively, and if it is a crime where the alleged victim is a minor, they are going to prosecute the person very aggressively.
How Are Violent Sex Crimes Prosecuted?
Richmond sex crimes prosecution takes violent sex crimes very seriously. The Commonwealth rarely offers any plea agreements. The Commonwealth normally requests a jury as opposed to a bench trial because they want the person to get maxed out. They are generally prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Prosecutors often push for the maximum sentence.
Types of Evidence Presented in Sex Crime Cases
When dealing with sex crimes, the evidence that is going to be presented is often testimonial in nature. A lot of times with these types of cases, there is not a lot of physical evidence. There is not going to be a lot of defensive markings or bruisings or rape kits and things of that nature. A lot of people do not disclose what occurred until a certain amount of time has passed.
The evidence in Richmond sex crimes prosecution is unique in that it is almost 100 percent witness testimony. Usually, there is nothing physical that can be used to show that the activity has not occurred, so it all relies on witness credibility. Discrediting a witness can be a difficult process.
Handling Sex Crimes Involving Juveniles
Witness testimony can become especially important when handling cases involving juveniles. When handling a violent sex crime involving a juvenile, the juvenile does not usually come right out and say what is going on the moment that it happens. It goes on for years and years and years and there is no real physical traumatic evidence there, it is all mental and testimonial.
The evidence that is normally presented at the trial stage is simply just the stories of the accuser talking about what has happened to them, which makes these sex crimes extremely difficult to defend because, there is the angle of why would someone lie, what did they have to gain by making up such a heinous story about the accused, and so forth.
When dealing with a kid, it takes a toll not only on the accuser, but also the individual charged and their attorney, in trying to figure out the specifics and what can be done about the case when there might only be a nine-year-old presenting statements.
How Judges Treat Sex Crime Cases
In the city, most judges are well-versed on the law and also take Richmond sex crime prosecution seriously. If they find someone guilty of a sex-offense, they are more than likely going to go mid-point or above on the guidelines, if not on the high-end of the guidelines. That is why it can be important to work with an experienced, local sex crimes attorney. A Richmond-based sex crimes lawyer may have strong relationships with the judges and the prosecution and could leverage the strength of those relationships when negotiating your case. Consult a skilled sex crimes attorney today and know that you are in capable hands.
