Spotsylvania County Sexual Battery Lawyer

Virginia courts treat charges of sexual assault or sexual battery seriously in Spotsylvania. It is a felony offense in most situations. It is a situation where the courts will try to impose the maximum punishment because they try to protect these more vulnerable victims.

These are situations where the courts are not only trying to punish but they are also trying to deter the person from future actions. A Spotsylvania sexual battery lawyer can be by your side throughout your trial process. Speaking with a distinguished sex crimes attorney may be vital to the future outcome of your case.

Sexual Battery vs. Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is the attempt to commit a sexual battery against somebody. Sexual battery is when there actually is some contact. Sexual battery is where there is some act that is committed. Sexual assault would be if there was an attempt or an act.

Sexual Battery as a Violent Offense

Sexual battery is considered a violent offense. Spotsylvania sexual battery lawyers have seen cases where the individual could be considered a violent criminal. If they are charged with a sexual battery defense that is heightened to a felony, then at that point, they will be absolutely be considered a violent criminal.

If they are charged with a simple misdemeanor sexual battery, they might not necessarily be considered a violent criminal under the Virginia law. However, they are going to be considered a violent criminal by their peers and by their employers in most cases.

Impact of Aggravating Factors to a Sexual Battery Charge

Aggravating factors for sexual battery charges can be things like the age of the victim or if there is some incapacitation on the part of the victim. There has to be something else besides the act itself that makes this a little bit more heinous of a crime, such as if there is some trust relationship between the aggressor and the victim.

If somebody is convicted of a sexual battery, just a simple sexual battery, it is going to be a misdemeanor offense and it will be up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. A felony offense for a minimum one year in prison, maximum 20 years and a larger fine up to $100,000, is typically the result of aggravating factors.

Any of these situations make the sexual battery much more serious. Contacting a Spotsylvania sexual battery lawyer can give you peace of mind while facing these charges.

Importance of Hiring Counsel

It is important for somebody to consult with or hire a Spotsylvania sexual battery lawyer in these types of cases because the potential consequences are so severe. The consequences can include:

• Being labeled a felon
• Potential sexual offender registration
• Limits where a person can live
• Limits of the person’s rights as a result of the conviction
• The social stigma from being charged or investigated

All of that being held into balance makes it necessary, absolutely necessary, for an attorney to be involved and to help the person protect their rights because there is just too much at stake trying to navigate their case alone.

Role of a Lawyer

The role of a criminal defense attorney in sexual battery cases is not only to defend against a trial and provide a robust and aggressive defense to the actual crime charged but to also help find a potential outcome that will mitigate all other damages, all collateral damages, and consequences.

A Spotsylvania sexual battery lawyer would try to get out of the felony offense so that there are not felony consequences such as sex offender registry. They would try to limit the amount of contact police have with neighbors, with friends, with employers to try to limit the amount of press exposure that comes with this type of offense.

A defense attorney’s job goes beyond just the courtroom appearances to all aspects of the case and trying to help find a solution that minimizes the impact of this type of accusation against an individual defendant’s case.