A sex crime accusation can be a shocking, scary and shame-inducing life event. In addition to the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence, a sex crime accusation can carry requirements for treatment and registration as a sex offender. It can also be a barrier to continued or new employment and can generally stigmatize someone, even someone who is innocent. Therefore, if you’ve been accused of a sex crime, you must take steps from the moment you learn about the accusation to protect yourself and maximize the chance of getting the best outcome in your case. Below are basic steps you should take after you’ve been accused of a sex crime. For additional information and to begin planning your legal defense, please contact sex crime defense attorney, Jennifer Horwitz, as soon as possible.
Do Not Speak with Law Enforcement
If you’ve been falsely accused of a sex crime, it is only natural to want to explain yourself—especially to the police. However, this could be counter-productive to your case. Speaking to the police, your accuser, or anyone except your Seattle sex crimes defense attorney after you’ve been accused of a sex crime can only hurt your case. Take the business card or contact information of the Detective investigating and tell them you will have your attorney reach out to them.
Make a List for Your Attorney of Helpful Witnesses and Evidence
Following an accusation of a sex crime, you’ll need to work with your defense team to gather evidence to support your case. Your Seattle sex crimes attorney and her investigator will help you do this. Common evidence can include:
- Photos, emails and text messages from the time of the accusation;
- Witnesses who may have been present at the time of the allegation or who witnessed something important prior to or following the alleged assault;
- A timeline of the events leading up to the alleged incident, and;
- Important information for your attorney to know about the alleged victim and why an allegation such as this may have been fabricated or brought when it is not true
Your attorney may also consult medical or other experts regarding issues in your case.
Don’t Contact Your Accuser
As noted above, you shouldn’t talk to your accuser after you’ve been accused of a sex crime. While it may be tempting to try to work things out with your accuser without the involvement of the authorities, this may be viewed later by law enforcement or prosecutors as bullying or intimidating behavior or tampering with a witness, which is a crime. You should also be aware that the police sometimes have accusers contact their alleged attackers in an attempt to gather incriminating evidence and sometimes seek warrants to record phone calls or meetings between the accuser and the accused.
Contact a Seattle sex crimes defense attorney
Finally, if you’ve been accused of a sex crime in Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Issaquah or generally in the Washington State or King County area, you need to hire an attorney to defend your rights. Regardless of how strong you feel your case is, you need an experienced and knowledgeable attorney to represent you in court. At Jennifer Horwitz Law, we will defend you vigorously against sex crime accusations and charges. Jennifer Horwitz is a criminal defense attorney with 25 years of experience who has spent much of her career representing clients who’ve been accused of committing sex crimes. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Jennifer has a strong track record of obtaining dismissals, reductions and not-guilty verdicts in even the most serious types of sex crime cases. If you are facing sex crime accusations, don’t leave your future and freedom to chance—contact Jennifer Horwitz Law today to begin planning your defense.
DISCLAIMER: This post is intended to share my perspective, insights and some general information on various aspects of sex crime cases. It is not legal advice and is not intended to substitute for legal advice. You should consult an attorney to obtain legal advice for your individual situation and case.