Sex crimes of all nature, especially child sex abuse crimes, are considered very serious crimes in Pennsylvania. Under Pennsylvania Statutes Sections 3121-3130, you could be charged with the most serious felony crimes of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, institutional sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, or misdemeanor charges for indecent assault, indecent exposure, sexual intercourse with an animal or conduct relating to sex offenders. Prosecutors vigorously try these cases and courts are harsh on sentencing convicted sex offenders involving sex crimes against children. Prison sentences for the most serious sex felony crime convictions are lengthy ranging from maximum minimum 10 year sentences to 40 years for crimes involving rape and multiple deviate sexual intercourse charges involving minors, especially minors under 13 years of age and fines up to $100,000. Convicted sex offenders must register on the state sex offender registry after serving their sentences, which could affect where you can live and may affect other aspects of your life such as employment. Even if you are not accused of these offenses, you can still be charged with failing to report serious sex crimes to law enforcement and also be subject to perjury charges if you lie under oath about not having knowledge of such crimes.
Case Example
Former Penn State football defensive coordinator and assistant football coach Gerald “Jerry” Sandusky was arrested on November 5, 2011, accused of child sex abuse crimes involving eight boys over a time span of approximately 10 years. He was released on a $100,000 bond after the arraignment on 40 criminal counts according to the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Charges include seven felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, single counts of aggravated indecent assault and attempted indecent assault. Sandusky is facing up to 20 years in prison for the seven felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse alone besides additional sentences for other charges if he is convicted. Mr. Sandusky denies the charges. Penn State athletic director Tim Curley, 57, and the University’s vice president for finance and business as well as having responsibility for overseeing the University Police Department, Gary Schultz, 62, have been charged with perjury and failing to report information they had regarding the sex abuse allegations.
At one time, Mr. Sandusky was considered to be a likely replacement for the legendary Joe Paterno, Penn State’s head coach position, prior to his retirement in 1999. After retiring from Penn State, Mr. Sandusky continued his work with at-risk-children through his non-profit organization Second Mile, which he founded in 1977. All of the victims in the case are alleged to have initially come into contact with Mr. Sandusky through his Second Mile organization. In 1999, Mr. Sandusky was banned from the Clinton County school district after the mother of an approximate 11 or 12 year old boy at the time reported to the high school that her son received expensive gifts and trips to sporting events and reported to her that he had been sexually assaulted by Mr. Sandusky during an overnight stay at his house. These charges triggered the State’s investigation into Mr. Sandusky’s current alleged sexual abuse charges.
Other allegations by a graduate assistant, Mr. Kelly, took place in 2002 when he reported that he saw Mr. Sandusky sexually assaulting a naked boy approximately 10 years old in a locker room of the Lasch Football Building located on the campus. He and his father reported the incident to Mr. Paterno, who then reported it to Mr. Curley, but it was not reported to any law enforcement agencies or Child Protective Service Agencies as required under Pennsylvania Law. Mr. Paterno has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the case according to prosecutors. Mr. Curley testified that he banned Mr. Sandusky from bringing any children onto the campus and that he reported the matter to Penn State President Graham Spanier. Mr. Sandusky was no longer coaching at Penn State during this time.
On November 9, 2011, Joe Paterno announced he was retiring at the end of the season, but the University made the decision to ask Paterno and President Spanier to leave effectively immediately, naming defensive coordinator Tom Bradley as the interim coach and provost Rodney Erickson as interim University President. With such a major scandal for a school that has maintained one of the most pristine images in college sports and one of four major schools that have never been found guilty of any major violations by the NCAA, this is a devastating blow. With the school’s reputation at stake, the University has hired their own investigator, former FBI director Louis Freeh, to conduct an independent investigation regarding the Sandusky child sex abuse allegations.
Hire an Attorney
If you are accused or charged with Pennsylvania sex crimes involving minors or other related sex offenses, these are very serious charges and require the assistance of a Pennsylvania Criminal Sexual Offense Attorney to defend you. The attorney understands the Pennsylvania laws and can aggressively defend you by interviewing witnesses and may be able to convince authorities and prosecutors to drop or dismiss charges against you, or in some cases, avoid charges from being filed against you if were falsely accused. The attorney may also be able to get charges filed against you reduced to a lesser crime such as indecent exposure or get you community service or probation.
Sources
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1121/Penn-State-appoints-ex-FBI-director-to-lead-child-sex-abuse-investigation
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577020001842475304.html
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2011-11-05/penn-state-abuse-case/51083628/1
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7212054/key-dates-penn-state-nittany-lions-sex-abuse-case
http://deadspin.com/5859426/pa-criminal-attorney-on-sandusky-judge-i-have-never-had-a-client-who-was-charged-with-those-counts-released-on-unsecured-bail
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/nation-world-news/pa-sex-crime-laws-under-focus-with-abuse-case-1290464.html
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/Search/statuteSearchAction.cfm?maxfiles=10&autoStopLimit=1000&index=cons&request=rape
San Diego (California) – Defense Attorney Shannon Dorvall of the Imhoff & Associates Law Firm, one of the largest multi-jurisdictional criminal defense firms, escorted her client Luis Galicia into the arms of his loving family upon his release after successfully getting her client’s case dismissed by the First District Court of Appeals on November 23, 2011. Luis served four years after a trial court convicted him for sexual molestation of his sister Araceli Galicia. At the original trial, the state’s doctor testified that she believed that Araceli had been forcibly raped, despite the testimony of the doctor for the defense, who stated he disagreed with the state’s evidence. Even though Araceli recanted her testimony and said that the charges were not true, the trial jury convicted Luis Galicia, and the sentence handed down was two 15 to life sentences.
The family hired the Imhoff firm to file an appeal on Luis’ behalf. While awaiting the Judge’s response in the appeal case, the family took Araceli to two doctors who examined her and disagreed with the state’s doctor, both stating that Araceli’s hymen was intact and that she had never had sex. The Imhoff firm also filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus on Luis Galicia’s behalf with the First District Court of Appeals, who agreed to order a hearing, and the Imhoff firm was also successful in obtaining the cooperation of the San Diego District Attorney’s Office to review the new medical evidence. The District Attorney agreed to have the Children’s Hospital also review the trial photos and examine the girl, and they agreed also that she had never had sex. The District Attorney testified at the hearing that the trial evidence was nonsense. The Judge ordered the case dismissed and the release of Mr. Galicia.
The Imhoff firm believes that no family should have to endure the ordeal that the Galicia family has gone through. Unfortunately, innocent people can be accused of all sorts of crimes they have not committed. If a person is arrested or charged with a sex crime, these are serious charges and can ruin a person’s reputation and life as well as destroy their family’s lives. Imhoff & Associates believes in justice and that all persons are innocent until proved otherwise. That is why the Imhoff legal defense team vigorously defends their clients by specializing in the most innovative legal services defense strategies and treats their clients with the utmost dignity and respect. The firm’s outstanding and skilled defense attorneys work diligently and creatively to offer the highest level of service to our clients and uphold the principles and standards upon which this firm was founded by providing service to clients with members of the firm available 24/7.
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In 2005, Illinois passed one of the nation’s strictest laws on human trafficking which involve offenses of involuntary servitude, sexual servitude of a minor or forced labor of persons for services. Charges range from a Class 4 to a Class X felony if kidnapping or injury to the victim is involved. If convicted, you may face severe penalties of heavy fines, jail time, a permanent criminal record and possibility of having to register as a sex offender, as well as having to pay restitution to the victim for their forced labor. The Illinois laws protect the victims of human trafficking and prostitution by providing social services under both Federal and State programs and immigration assistance.
Also, in 2010, the Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Illinois Safe Children Act which protects minors forced into sex and ensures that children are immune from criminal prosecution and instead are placed in the child protection system. Human trafficking crimes are also illegal under federal law, Title 18, Chapter 77 and the Mann Act 18 U.S.C.A. § 2421 [as amended 1986], making it a crime to transport a person over interstate lines or for foreign commerce for the purpose of prostitution or other immoral acts.
Prostitution, pimping, pandering and solicitation of prostitution are also illegal under the following Illinois laws listed below. You can be found guilty of crimes ranging from Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony which carry sentences Prostitution; pandering, pimping and solicitation charges carry sentences of up to 1 yr and/or $2,500 then 1-3 yrs and/or $25,000. Law enforcement may impound any vehicle used by the person in the commission of the offense.
720 ILCS 5 Sec. 11 14.1 solicitation of a sexual act is considered a Class B misdemeanor offense.
720 ILCS 5 Sec. 11 15 solicitation for a prostitute offense is considered a Class A misdemeanor.
720 ILCS 5 Sec. 11 16 pandering by compelling a person to become a prostitute and receiving compensation or arranging for the situation is a Class 4 felony and a Class 3 felony if the violation takes place within 1,000 feet of a school.
720 ILCS 5 Sec. 11 17 keeping a place of prostitution is a Class 4 felony.
720 ILCS 5 Sec. 11 18 patronizing a prostitute is a Class A misdemeanor.
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720 ILCS 5 Sec. 11 19 pimping by receiving any article of value from a prostitution earned in part from act of prostitution is a Class 4 Felony and a Class 3 felony if the violation takes place within 1,000 feet of a school.
Case Example
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office’s pilot program announced that their Columbus Day weekend joint eight law enforcement agency sweep of “Johns” called “National Day of Johns Arrests” resulted in sting activities and arrests on the streets, hotels, brothels, the Internet and other places which were concluded on Monday morning October 10, 2011. Among those agencies that participated were:
Cook County Sheriff Police Department (Illinois)
Aurora Police Department (Illinois)
Cincinnati Police Department (Ohio)
Elgin Police Department (Illinois)
Las Vegas Police Department (Nevada)
Los Angeles Police Department (California)
Phoenix Police Department (Arizona)
Newport News Police Department (Virginia)
There were a total of 247 charges with the arrest of 216 Johns, a total of 223 arrests, fines totaling $238,490, 71 vehicles that were towed, 2 pimp arrests, 8 drug arrests. The majority of arrests took place on the street and in hotels. A grant from Demand Abolition supports Illinois public awareness programs to deter offenders from participating in commercial prostitution and/or human trafficking by offering eligible defendants an opportunity to participate in the law enforcement agency’s pilot program “John Schools.” Other voluntary and involuntary programs are also offered to rehabilitate offenders.
Victims of prostitution and human trafficking are offered social services and safe housing to allow them to leave their lifestyle of prostitution. The success of the law enforcement agency’s pilot program is expected to lead to future collaboration John sweeps across the nation in the fight of solicitation of sex and related crimes. Next year, under Illinois Senate Bill 1037, sponsored by Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) and Rep Karen Yarbrough (D-Maywood), defendants of human trafficking at the time of their prostitution convictions will be able to file a motion to vacate the conviction if they can prove their participation was because they were a victim.
Criminal Defense Attorney
If you are arrested of a prostitution or human trafficking crime in Illinois, it is important to understand your rights. Since these are serious crimes, it is recommended that you hire an Illinois Criminal Defense attorney to defend you. The attorney understands that arrests for prostitution, pandering, solicitation and related human trafficking crimes many times involve entrapment, violation of privacy and are discriminatory resulting in false charges and individual rights being violated. Other factors to be considered are whether a human trafficking offense occurred as a result of fear or abuse. The attorney will defend your rights to try get your charges reduced, community service, a voluntary or mandatory John educational or other community program, probation or get your case dropped.
Under Article 245.01 of the New York Penal Code, a person can be found guilty of the crime of indecent exposure if they appear in a public place and expose private or intimate body parts, including genitals, pubic area, buttocks or a women’s breast below the top of the areola, even if there is no violence or touching. Indecent exposure in New York is considered a misdemeanor sex crime. However, if there is any contact between the offender and another person, it could be considered sexual assault, which is a felony crime. If a minor is involved as a victim of indecent exposure, the punishment is harsher. Penal Code Section 130 defines sexual contact as “any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person not married to the actor for the purpose of gratifying sexual desire of either party. It includes the touching of the actor by the victim, as well as the touching of the victim by the actor, whether directly or through clothing.”
Breastfeeding and performing nude in a play, theatre or entertainment venue are excluded under the law. Nudity in strip clubs in New York is not allowed where alcohol is served. Many strip clubs have “juice bars”, which permits their nude employees to be anywhere in the club. Each municipality is allowed to pass their own nudity laws regarding entertainment and the restriction of strip clubs. It is also illegal to display offensive sexual material in a public place under Penal Code Sections 245.10 and 245.11.
Penalties
For a Class A misdemeanor sex crime, you may be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or jail time. If you are a repeat or habitual offender, your sentence will be increased. Punishments for repeat offenders and felony sexual assault convictions include jail time; fines, mandatory rehab, and you may be required to register as a sex offender on the National Sex Offenders Registry.
Case:
Three people were arrested on Monday August 1, 2011, after taking off their clothes in front of the New York Stock Exchange during an art performance project involving dozens of people. The three were taken to the 1st Precinct stationhouse in Tribeca and released with a summons. The performance was organized by artist Zefrey Throwell, who gathered 50 people as part of an art event entitled “Ocularpation”, where participants pretended to be traders, janitors and secretaries. Zefrey’s inspiration for the performance was his 65 year old mother who lost most of her retirement savings during the Wall Street crash and has now been forced to return to work. Zefrey defended his project as an educational project about transparency that he believes Wall Street needs.
Although an arrest for indecent exposure or public indecency is considered a lesser sex crime in New York, it still should be taken seriously. It is important to hire an experienced New York criminal defense attorney to represent you. The attorney can argue that you were falsely accused or possibly that your first amendment rights to freedom of speech were violated to get the case dismissed. If you have been convicted of previous sex crimes, the attorney may be able to arrange a plea bargain, get you reduced fines and possible avoidance of having to register as a sex offender.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was arrested in May 2011, for allegedly sexually assaulting a hotel housekeeper in his New York Sofitel hotel room. Strauss-Kahn pled not guilty to seven charges, including attempted rape, a conviction of which carries a 10 year prison sentence in New York. He was released from house arrest on Friday July 1, 2011, on his own recognizance. Although prosecutors made no attempt to oppose the release, they have retained his passport.
The Manhattan prosecutors acknowledge that they do have evidence to support the rape accusations made by the housekeeper that Strauss-Kahn forced her to perform oral sex. They are getting ready to make a decision whether or not they are going to drop the case against Strauss-Kahn. The housekeeper admitted to prosecutors that she lied about what the details after the alleged rape incident. She initially said she waited in the hall after the attack until after Mr. Strauss-Kahn left his room. She then admitted that she cleaned a room nearby and then returned to clean Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s room. After that, she said she reported the incident to her supervisor.
Prosecutors informed Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s attorney’s by letter that the housekeeper made up the charges with the help of a male who gave her a cassette recording that she memorized. She also admitted that she had never been a victim of gang rape in Guinea. In addition, she admitted to falsifying her income in order to qualify for housing and declaring a friend’s child and her own child as dependents on tax returns to get an increased amount on her tax refund. Prosecutors have informed the Judge that the credibility of the housekeeper has been compromised as a result of her history of lying, and that it will be difficult to get a jury to believe her even if she is telling the truth about the rape.
Mr. Thompson, the attorney for the housekeeper, admits that she lied, but he insists that she was attacked and her testimony of the incident has not changed. He explained the fact that she cleaned a room after the incident occurred because she was confused and upset about what happened to her. Mr. Strauss-Kahn has maintained he is innocent of any wrongdoing. Prior to this incident, Strauss-Kahn was viewed as the top contender for the French Presidential race next year. Strauss-Kahn recently said: “media speculation that he might run is simply absurd.” Meanwhile, the only two people who really know what happened in that hotel room are Mr. Strauss-Kahn and the housekeeper.
If you have been arrested for attempted rape, this is a very serious offense. You should hire a criminal defense attorney immediately to represent you. Depending on the evidence the prosecutor has and the circumstances of the case, your attorney can argue that the sex was consensual, or that there was insufficient evidence or mistaken identity to get the charges dismissed against you.
On July 5, 2011, an Orlando jury at the Orange County Courthouse found defendant Casey Anthony not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child regarding charges filed against her in 2008 regarding the death of her two year old daughter, Caylee Anthony. She was convicted of four lesser misdemeanor crimes of providing false information to law enforcement officers. If Casey had been convicted of first degree murder, should could have faced the death penalty in Florida. Judge Belvin Perry sentenced her to the maximum four year sentence for her misdemeanor convictions of lying to authorities. He denied the defense’s request to combine the misdemeanor counts into one which could have meant that she would have been released immediately. She was given time served and good behavior and is expected to be released on July 17, 2011. An unnamed juror who was interviewed after the decision said the reason the jury found Casey not guilty of the more serious crimes of murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter is that the prosecutors failed to show how Caylee was murdered.
The circumstances surrounding the case began when Cindy Anthony reported her granddaughter, Caylee Anthony missing on July 5, 2008. Casey Anthony was arrested on July 16, 2008 on circumstantial evidence and charged in October of 2008 with first degree murder. In December of 2008, almost six months after Caylee was reported missing, police investigators found parts of the decomposed body of Caylee with duct tape in the woods near the Anthony residence. It was established by the prosecution and admitted by the defense team, that Casey Anthony lied to sheriff deputies about working at Universal Studios, about employing a nanny that took care of Caylee and that the nanny, whose name was Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez took the child (it was later determined that no such person existed, about telling two imaginary people Caylee was missing and about receiving a telephone call from Caylee the day prior to when she was reported missing). Photos were presented showing Casey at a Florida nightclub partying with friends prior to the child being reported as missing.
At trial, Casey’s lead defense attorney Jose Baez claimed that Casey had lied to cover up the family tragedy that Caylee had accidentally drowned in her grandparents George and Cindy Anthony’s pool. He also claimed that Casey did not tell the truth because she was frightened of her father George Anthony, who her attorney Baez claimed started molesting Casey at age eight. Baez also claimed that Casey’s brother might be Caylee’s father, and that the meter reader who found Caylee’s remains may have moved them. None of these allegations were ever proven. Casey’s defense team was able to raise enough reasonable doubt about the duct tape that showed no evidence of Casey’s DNA on it, which prosecutors argued was allegedly used to suffocate Caylee. They also raised doubt about conflicting testimony regarding the odor inside the Anthony car. It had not been established whether it was a decomposing body or trash left in the car. The prosecutors did not clarify why chloroform was so important to the case.
The case became one of the most watched and talked about cases since the O.J. Simpson murder trial and attracted a crowd of spectators and national and international media coverage. In fact, outside the courthouse the day the verdict was read, people expressed their outrage that justice had not been served for Caylee. Casey Anthony could profit from the case by selling her story to publishers, filmmakers or by signing a television contract.
If you are arrested for murder, aggravated child abuse or aggravated assault of a child, these are serious crimes. Depending on your state laws, you could face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted of first degree murder. You should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to defend you. The attorney can argue such defenses as circumstantial evidence or lack of evidence, mistaken identity, self defense or defense of others to either create enough reasonable doubt to get you acquitted or have the charges dismissed or reduced to a lesser crime.
California sex offender laws are strict. If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony sex offense crime in California, besides serving jail time or completing probation, you must also register as a sex offender. California Penal Code Section 290(a)(2)(A)-(E) requires all persons convicted of sex offenses in California to register for life as a sex offender with the local police station or sheriff’s department in the city or unincorporated area where they reside. The court may order a person to register as a sex offender even if their offense was not a sexually motivated crime.
Most common sex offenses requiring registration under Section 290 include the following acts:
· Rape under Penal Code Section 261
· Sexual battery under Penal Code Section 243.4
· Lewd acts regarding minors under Penal Code Section 288
· Contributing to the delinquency of a minor under Penal Code 272
· Child pornography under Penal Code 311
· Pandering a minor under Penal Codes 266h and 266i
· Aggravated and continuous sexual assault of a minor under Penal Codes 269 and 288.5
· Incest under Penal Code 285
· Forced acts regarding oral copulation under Penal Code 288a
· Sodomy under Penal Code 286
· Acts of penetration with a foreign object under Penal Code 289
· Indecent exposure under Penal Code 314
The law states that the person must register within five days from release of custody or probation or changing their residence within or outside the city or county or their name. Transient and homeless people must continue to register every 30 days. A sex offender who attends or is living at a campus of a California state or community college or other institution of higher learning is required to register both with the campus police and the local law enforcement agency in their jurisdiction. Students or employees who reside in another state and are convicted sex offenders that are working in California or attending a California school must also register with the local law enforcement agency and the school.
All registrants must update their information every year within five working days of their birthday, and sexually violent predators must update their records not less than every 90 days. The names of juvenile registrants are not publicly disclosed on the Internet list. However, law enforcement may use their own discretion to notify the public if they believe that a juvenile sex offender in their area poses a threat to the public. Convicted felony sex offenders who willfully do not comply with the registration law can be found guilty of a felony. Convicted misdemeanor sex offenders who willfully do not comply with the registration law can be found guilty of a misdemeanor for the first violation and a felony for subsequent violations.
Megan’s Law
Megan’s Law, which was signed into effect on in California by the governor on August 24, 2004, makes it possible for the California list of all sex offenders to be published on the Internet so that the public may access the information. Prior to the enactment of the Megan’s Law, the information could only be obtained by the public by visiting their local law enforcement agency to view the information or by calling a toll free 900 number. All states have some sort of Megan’s law. The intention of the law is to keep the public informed of the whereabouts of offenders that may pose a threat to them and not for harassing or committing crimes against registered sex offenders.
Dismissal of Offense After Probation and Certificate of Rehabilitation
Under California Penal Code section 1203.4, convicted sex offenders who complete their probation may apply to have their offense dismissed. However, they still must register for life. Only persons whose sex offenses are nondisclosable to the public are eligible to apply for a certificate of rehabilitation from registering as a sex offenders after 7-10 years after their release from custody, parole or probation, whichever occurs first. All other persons must obtain a pardon from the governor.
Chelsea’s Law
Thursday September 9, 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Chelsea’s Law which allows life without parole sentences for adult sexual predators who kidnap, drug, bind, torture or use a weapon while committing a sex crime against a child. Life terms could be ordered for first-time and repeat offenders. The new law also increases other penalties for child molesters, including the requirement of lifetime parole with GPS tracking for offenders convicted of forcible sex crimes against children under 14. The new law was named after 17 year old Chelsea King, who was killed by 31 year old convicted child molester John Gardner. Gardner had been previously convicted of molesting a 13 year old neighbor in 2000 and served five years out of a six year sentence. Gardner was sentenced to life in prison in May 2010 after pleading guilty to the murder of Chelsea King and a 14 year old girl Amber Dubois. The new law will protect children against such crimes by keeping sex offenders such as Gardner in jail for a longer period of time.
State law makers and local police are also trying to keep convicted sex offenders from registering on social networks like MySpace and Facebook, where they look for victims. AB 2208 was introduced in February 2010, which if passed and enacted into law, would make it illegal for convicted sex offenders who are required to register under California Penal Code Section 290 to use social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace by making it a misdemeanor. Facebook already has The P.O.M. Offender Locator tool on their site which allows users to search for sex offenders by putting in their address and providing a list of offenders that the user can click for more information.
If you convicted of certain sex offense crimes, you are required to register for life as a sex offender under California Penal Code Section 290, even after serving your time or probation. It is crucial that you hire an experienced California criminal law sex offense attorney who can challenge the California sex offender registration laws by getting the charges dismissed after probation and/or assist you with obtaining a Certificate of Rehabilitation so you no longer have to register as a sex offender. If you are charged with a misdemeanor or felony sex offense in California, the attorney can defend you by being able to get your pleas of guilty or no contest withdrawn or get your sex offense crime dismissed, especially in cases of statutory rape or sex with a minor under Penal Code Section 261.5. Many times these accusations are false, and the sex is consensual.
A Beverly Hills fashion designer has just been found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault that could result in him receiving a lifetime prison sentence. Anand Jon Alexander, 34, has been convicted of raping seven females, ranging in age from 14 to 21 years old. These sexual crimes occurred over a six-year span from 2002 to 2007.
While Alexander originally faced 23 felony charges, he was ultimately convicted of 16 counts, including:
In addition to being known for his role on “America’s Next Top Model,” Alexander is also credited with designing for many popular celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Norah Jones.
Over two months of trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Alexander’s criminal activities, which included:
As evidence, prosecutors (led by District Attorney Frances Young) called on nine of the female victims to testify.
While Alexander’s high-priced criminal defense attorneys tried to discredit the victims’ testimonies by claiming that they were lying to defame the defendant, the consistencies of the victims’ statements were enough to sway the jury and result in multiple convictions.
The sentencing phase of Alexander’s trial is scheduled to occur Jan. 13, 2009 at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse.
However, Alexander’s recent convictions and pending sentencing in California are only the start of a series of trials this convict will face, as he has also been indicted in New York on nine other rape and sexual assault charges.
Similarly, Texas authorities in the Dallas area are still investigating allegations against Alexander. This investigation is also likely to result in another trial for Alexander.
(Source: Los Angeles Times, The Herald Sun)
Are You Facing Criminal Charges? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced criminal law attorney who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.
An officer of the Los Angeles Police Department has recently been indicted on one misdemeanor charge, as well as three felony counts, for a series of sexual offenses he allegedly committed last year.
Officer Russell Mecano, 40, will be officially arraigned Dec.12 for:
If convicted on all counts, Mecano faces as much as 12 years in a California state prison.
1. May 28, 2007: According to prosecutors, Mecano allegedly blackmailed an 18-year old female, telling her that he would not arrest her for possession of drug paraphernalia (she was arrested with a marijuana pipe) if she would have sex with him. After sexually assaulting this woman behind a public library, authorities allege that Mecano then told the woman to meet him at a nearby motel.
Detectives didn’t elaborate on whether the woman complied or whether Mecano subsequently sexually assaulted her at another location.
2. October 2008: During this incident, Mecano allegedly blackmailed a 20-year old vagrant female for sex. According to police, Mecano told the woman he wouldn’t arrest her on battery charges if she would meet him at a nearby motel and have sex with him. Mecano supposedly gave the female about $200.
Rather than meet him at the motel, the woman hailed a cab and went to a neighboring city’s police department to report the crime.
In addition to the victims’ testimony, prosecutors also have a number of cell phone records that confirm some of the details of these crimes.
Although further evidence will likely be presented in trial, Mecano has yet to confirm his innocence or his role in these incidents. Mecano’s claim to innocence or guilt is expected to be announced at his arraignment next month.
(Source: Los Angeles Times)
Are you in need of a criminal defense attorney? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced professional who will provide you with the legal support you need to ensure your rights are protected.
Today, the Supreme Court will start hearing a case that debates whether a convicted rapist has the constitutional right to perform DNA testing on genetic material gathered at a crime scene in Alaska over 14 years ago.
In 1994, William Osborne received a 26-year prison sentence after he was convicted of assault, sexual assault and kidnapping. He claims that modern, more advanced DNA tests can prove he was wrongfully convicted of these crimes.
While 43 states, as well as the federal government, give convicts access to DNA tests (particularly in older cases in which DNA testing was never done due to lack of this technology at the time), seven states in the U.S. don’t have laws giving this right to convicts. Alaska is one of these seven states.
In 1993, two Alaskan men picked up a prostitute, drove her to a secluded location and severely beat her with an axe handle. After forcing her to engage in various sex acts, they shot the woman, partially covered her with snow and left her for dead.
Despite the violent nature of these crimes, the prostitute survived and ultimately testified that Osborne was one of the men who brutally attacked and raped her. The other man convicted of these crimes also affirmed Osborne’s participation.
At the time of his arrest, Osborne confessed to the crimes. While the convict is now professing his innocence, he and his lawyer claim that the initial confession was given out of Osborne’s desire to expedite the case, as he knew he was going to be convicted of the crimes due to compelling eyewitness testimony.
In the appeals to his conviction, Osborne has asked the court to grant him permission to use more sophisticated, modern-day DNA tests to prove his innocence. According to Osborne and his attorneys, the DNA tests of modern times are far more technologically advanced than those used at the time of his trial and conviction. If allowed to use these tests, Osborne claims he can prove he was not involved in the rape, beating and kidnapping.
One Court of Appeals has already ruled that Osborne should be granted access to modern DNA tests, as the point of the conviction is to serve justice, and justice will not be served if an innocent man is being imprisoned.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision in the coming weeks.
(Source: New York Times)
Have you been charged with a crime? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced professional who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.