Prosecution of Fairfax Sex Crimes

Due to the severity with which these cases are treated, if you or someone you know is facing sex crimes charges it is imperative you consult with a Fairfax sex crimes lawyer as soon as possible to begin building your defense. Call and schedule a free consultation today to learn more.

How Sex Crimes Are Treated By Prosecutors

Sex crimes cases are going to be taken very seriously because it is a crime of violence against a victim, not just against someone’s property. Someone has been impacted directly by these types of crimes and so the actual presence of a victim leads these charges to be treated much more seriously than crimes only involving property.

When there is violence against people, prosecutors are going to prosecute them as aggressively as possible because they want the person to be held accountable as much as possible. It is for this reason that prosecutors involved in sex crimes cases often push for the maximum sentence available.

Are Sex Crimes Typically a Felony or Misdemeanor Offense?

This depends on the case and how serious it is. There are misdemeanor sexual assault offenses, however there are a much wider variety of felony sexual assault offenses than misdemeanor charges.

Evidence in Sex Crimes Cases

There is a variety of evidence that may be presented in sex crimes cases. This includes testimony from the complaining witness or other witnesses, and examination (also referred to as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination or SANE) that is done through a qualified nurse who is deemed to be an expert nurse examiner. There could be a confession or statement made by the accused that would be presented at the trial in certain cases. Additionally, there could be crime scene video surveillance or there could be a sting operation in which an offender is recorded making admissions usually to the complaining witness.

How Judges Treat Sexual Offenses

Just like prosecutors and law enforcement officers, judges also take these types of charges very seriously. Arguable aside from homicide, sexual assault is probably the next most serious category of criminal offense. For this reason it is imperative that you have a defense attorney who takes these allegations extremely seriously and makes sure to put forth a strong and aggressive defense on behalf of their client.

Role of An Attorney

The role of any lawyer with regards to sex crimes cases is to defend the accused while also asserting any violations of the accused’s constitutional rights in order to seek to exclude evidence that may come in at the trial that could incriminate the client.

An attorney should be constantly advising people on what’s going on in their case and what defenses may be lodged against the allegations. The attorney is responsible for developing a defense strategy and implementing it, and then of course, appearing at court hearings and trials and filing the appropriate pretrial motions.