Defending Against Sex Crime Charges in Illinois

 Posted on September 18, 2018 in Sex Crimes

All criminal charges need to be taken seriously. That being said, because of the penalties associated with sex crimes, those facing these charges are encouraged to seek professional representation immediately. Individuals who are charged with or convicted of a sexual offense, such as sexual assault or possession of child pornography, are likely to have a negative reputation that can follow them around forever. The stigma around alleged sex offenders is so powerful that it can be hard to shake this bad reputation, even if the defendant has been cleared of all charges. In the event a defendant is convicted of a sex crime, the consequences can be even worse. Sex crime convictions can carry a host of consequences, including significant jail time and being listed on the sex offender registry for the rest of your life. As such, you need an aggressive defense attorney who can protect your rights and your reputation.

Suppressing Evidence

Without evidence, there is generally no criminal case. Every crime and charge is different, but a criminal defense attorney will work tirelessly to suppress any evidence that is improperly collected against a defendant. Regardless of the crime or suspicion, everyone is entitled to their Constitutional rights. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution gives individuals the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. If the collection of evidence violated your rights, this could be a large factor in preventing criminal charges from being brought.

Improper Police Conduct

In addition to making sure that a police officer has the proper search warrants to collect evidence, the police have other conduct-related requirements that they must follow. For example, entrapment can often be a defense in sex crime cases. Entrapment is a complex area of the law, but your attorney may be able to show that if the police had not enticed you to commit a crime, you would not have committed the alleged offense.

Challenging Witness Testimony

Evidence in many cases comes from eyewitness testimony. However, not every witness is credible. Being able to poke holes in a witness’s story or credibility can discredit the witness enough to make their testimony unusable.

Another way to discredit a witness is by finding reasons that they might be lying about their memory or account of events. In some instances, people might be willing to lie to help out a family member or friend or because of a vendetta against the alleged offender. Exposing these lies is often key in defending against sex crime charges.

Contact a Cook County Sex Crime Defense Lawyer

Reputation is important. It follows you for the rest of your life, and it is hard to change other people’s perception of you. As such, criminal charges for sexual offenses can have a devastating impact on the rest of your life. You need an attorney who is willing to provide an aggressive defense and work hard to avoid the consequences of a conviction. Skilled Rolling Meadows criminal defense attorney Christopher M. Cosley is here for you. Attorney Cosley is committed to providing the best defense possible under the circumstances. Contact us today at 847-253-3100 for a free consultation.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?docname=072000050hart%2E+11&actid=1876&chapterid=53&seqstart=14300000&seqend=20800000