A Sharp Defense Can Deflate a Sex Crime Case

Society has an oddly skewed approach to accusations of sex crimes. Generally, the identity of the alleged victim is carefully protected, the assumption being that an innocent victim should not be subjected to the public shame and embarrassment associated with such a lurid crime. The accused, meanwhile, gets the check-out-this-slimebag treatment right off the bat: The name and picture of an alleged abuser, along with the ugly details of the accusation, can be plastered across every newspaper in town, no problem — even though, under the law, the accused is just as innocent as the victim until convicted by a jury.

This double-standard is especially unfortunate given the fact that sex abuse is among the most easily — and commonly — falsified allegations in the realm of criminal law. Countless lives, careers and reputations have been ruined by sex crime charges, even when there is ultimately no conviction — sometimes, not even a trial.

And so, while our legal system is designed to give the accused the benefit of the doubt, anyone who faces sex crime charges starts at a disadvantage. True, the burden of proof is always on the accuser, but that burden is a lot lighter when the people sitting in judgment are already looking at you sideways.

The key is to put forth a well-honed defense that puts the credibility of witnesses in question, or even better, uncovers facts that prove you could not have committed the crime. If you are charged with a sex crime, make sure to work with an attorney who is well-versed is the specific tactics of sex crime defense. Because in a case of he-says-she-says, what your defense attorney says can make all the difference.