Sex offenses are not only some of the most serious crimes that a person can be charged with, but they carry some of the most extensive and lasting consequences if convicted. If you’ve been charged with a sex crime, you’re probably frightened at the consequences you could face if convicted.
At HMW Law—Ohio Trial Attorneys, our Cleveland criminal defense lawyers can build a strong defense case for you and combat your charges.
A Cleveland sex crime defense lawyer from our team will gather evidence in your defense to create a personalized legal strategy that’s unique to your case. We have over 60 years of combined experience and are ready to fight for you.
How a Cleveland Sex Crime Defense Lawyer Can Help You
If you’re facing sex crime charges, your finances, reputation, and freedom are on the line. At a time like this, you want only the most experienced attorney to handle your case.
When you work with our sex crime defense lawyers in Cleveland, we’ll draw on our extensive experience and legal knowledge to make your defense case as strong and compelling as possible.
We’ll handle every step of the defense process from start to finish. Here’s what our dedicated team can do to help you combat your charges and preserve your permanent record:
- Provide legal guidance: We offer personalized legal advice tailored to your specific situation. Our team will carefully review the details of the case, explain the charges against you, and help you understand your rights and potential legal options.
- Build a strong defense: Our Cleveland sex crime defense attorneys work diligently to build a robust defense strategy. This may involve investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged offense, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and identifying weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.
- Protect your rights: We are committed to protecting your constitutional rights throughout the legal process. This includes ensuring that law enforcement followed proper procedures during the investigation, arrest, and questioning.
- Negotiate with prosecutors: Our skilled negotiators engage with prosecutors to explore opportunities for reduced charges, plea bargains, or alternative sentencing options when appropriate. We strive to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients.
- Represent you in court: In the event the case goes to trial, our experienced trial attorneys provide strong and effective courtroom representation. We present your case persuasively, challenge the prosecution’s evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and argue legal points on your behalf.
- Navigate complex legal procedures: Sex crime cases often involve complex legal procedures. We guide you through every step of the process, explaining court hearings, filing motions, and ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
- Mitigate consequences: Our goal is to minimize the potential consequences of a sex crime conviction. We work to protect your reputation and explore options for rehabilitation or counseling that may positively influence the sentencing phase.
- Handle appeals and post–conviction relief: If necessary, we’ll explore avenues for appeals or post-conviction relief to challenge unjust outcomes. Our team continues to advocate for your rights even after a conviction if there are grounds for further legal action.
When you choose our sex crime defense attorneys from Cleveland, OH, you are not just our client. You become a part of our legal team. Our goal is to work with you toward the most desirable outcome possible and make you feel comfortable every step of the way.
For a free legal consultation with a sex crime defense lawyer serving Cleveland, call 216-774-0000
Types of Sex Crime Cases We Can Handle
A sex crime refers to a criminal offense that involves sexual conduct or behavior that is considered illegal. These crimes can vary widely and may encompass a range of activities, from non-consensual sexual acts to offenses related to sexual exploitation or sexual misconduct.
Our sex crimes defense attorneys in Cleveland have a great deal of experience handling a variety of cases. We have the legal knowledge and resources required to handle even the most complicated cases.
Depending on your unique situation, we’ll refer you to one of the following highly experienced attorneys from our team:
- Cleveland rape lawyer: In Ohio, rape involves engaging in sexual conduct with another person without their consent. This includes forced intercourse and may involve physical force, threats, or coercion. It can also involve intentionally intoxicating another person to engage in sexual conduct with them.
- Cleveland sexual battery lawyer: According to Ohio Revised Code § 2907.03, sexual battery refers to the unlawful touching of another person’s intimate parts without their consent. This offense does not necessarily involve penetration, but it encompasses unwanted sexual contact.
- Cleveland gross sexual imposition lawyer: This crime involves engaging in sexual conduct with another person when the sex offender knows that the other person’s ability to resist or consent is substantially impaired. It may also involve engaging in sexual conduct with a person who is unaware that the act is occurring.
- Cleveland unlawful sexual conduct with a minor lawyer: This offense occurs when an adult engages in sexual conduct with a person under the age of consent, even if the minor willingly participated. The age of consent in Ohio is 16.
- Cleveland voyeurism lawyer: According to Ohio Revised Code § 2907.08, voyeurism involves secretly observing or recording another person undressing, engaging in sexual activity, or in other private situations without their consent.
- Cleveland public indecency lawyer: Public indecency refers to engaging in sexual conduct or exposing one’s genitals in public, which can include acts such as public sex or flashing.
- Cleveland prostitution & solicitation lawyer: Engaging in or soliciting sexual services in exchange for money or other forms of compensation is illegal in Ohio.
- Cleveland child pornography lawyer: Creating, distributing, or possessing sexually explicit images involving minors is considered a serious offense. If you’ve been accused of a child pornography offense or another type of sex crime, our child pornography lawyers in Cleveland are here to protect you from a serious conviction.
Cleveland Sex Crime Defense Lawyer Near Me 216-774-0000
Defenses We Can Use to Combat Your Sex Crime Charges
A legal defense is a strategy or argument put forth by a defendant or their legal counsel to challenge the prosecution’s case and attempt to show that the defendant is not guilty of the charges brought against them.
Our team has handled countless cases like yours and is closely familiar with the defense strategies used to get charges dropped or reduced. Depending on the details of your case, our team may use any of the following defenses to protect you from a life-altering conviction:
- Consent: Our team can work hard to obtain evidence that shows the sexual activity was consensual and that both parties willingly participated.
- Mistaken identity: This sex crime defense argues that the accuser has identified the wrong person as the perpetrator of the alleged sex crime. It may involve presenting evidence to show that someone else committed the offense.
- Lack of evidence: If there is insufficient or unreliable evidence to support the allegations, we may argue that the prosecution has failed to meet its burden of proof.
- False accusations: This defense asserts that the accuser has made false or misleading statements, either intentionally or unintentionally. Our sex crime defense lawyers in Cleveland may present physical evidence to undermine the credibility of the accuser.
- Alibi: An alibi defense involves providing evidence that you were not present at the location where the alleged sex crime occurred during the relevant time.
- Statute of limitations: In some cases, our team may argue that the alleged offense occurred outside the statute of limitations, meaning that too much time has passed for the charges to be legally pursued.
- Insanity or mental incapacity: If you were not mentally competent at the time of the alleged offense, our attorneys may argue that you should not be held criminally responsible.
- Procedural violations: This defense strategy challenges the legality of the investigation into your alleged offense or your arrest, arguing that law enforcement violated your constitutional rights in the process.
As you can see, there are many defenses that can be used to fight the charges you’re facing. No matter how complicated or serious your case is, you can rely on our law firm to construct a compelling defense strategy and fight tirelessly to protect you from harsh penalties.
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What Are the Potential Penalties of a Sex Crime Conviction?
If you are convicted of a sex crime, you are required to register as a sex offender, which will affect where you can live, work, and travel for the rest of your life. If you are convicted of a felony or aggravated offense, you could also face heavy fines and a lengthy prison sentence.
In Ohio, sex crimes may be classified as misdemeanors or felonies. Generally, felony offenses carry more penalties and can lead to extended sentences. Your specific penalties will depend on the nature of your charges and what you are accused of.
An experienced sex crime defense lawyer from Cleveland will work hard to protect you from the penalties that come with the following offenses:
First-Degree Felony
If you are convicted of a first-degree felony, you’ll face up to 16 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines. Rape and compelling prostitution of a minor under 16 years old are considered first-degree felonies.
Second-Degree Felony
If you are convicted of a sex crime that’s considered a second-degree felony, you’ll face up to 12 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines. Sexual battery against a person under 13 and compelling prostitution of a minor between 16 and 17 are both classified as second-degree felonies.
Third-Degree Felony
If you are convicted of a third-degree felony sex crime in Ohio, you could face up to 36 months (3 years) in prison for lower-tier offenses or up to 60 months (5 years) for higher-tier offenses, along with fines of up to $10,000.
Sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, exploitation of a minor, and compelling prostitution can be charged as third-degree felony offenses.
Fourth-Degree Felony
If you are convicted of a fourth-degree felony sex crime, you’ll face up to 18 months in prison and up to $5,000 in fines. You could be charged with a fourth-degree felony if you are accused of gross sexual imposition, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, or promoting prostitution.
Fifth-Degree Felony
Fifth-degree felony convictions can result in up to 12 months in prison and up to $2,500 in fines. Voyeurism involving a minor is a common example of this charge.
A dedicated Cleveland sex crime defense lawyer can answer any questions you have about fifth-degree felony penalties and protect you from these outcomes.
First-Degree Misdemeanor
If you are convicted of a sex crime that is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor, you’ll face up to 180 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. Unlawful sexual contact with a minor, voyeurism, and public indecency can be first-degree misdemeanors.
Second-Degree Misdemeanor
If a court convicts you of a second-degree misdemeanor sex crime, you’ll face up to 90 days in jail and up to $750 in fines. You could face this charge if you are accused of public indecency involving sexual conduct or voyeurism involving the recording of another person.
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How to Find the Right Sex Crime Defense Attorney for You
If you’re facing sex crime charges, you’ll want to hire a skilled criminal defense lawyer whom you can trust with your case. Make sure to ask a potential legal advocate the following questions to determine if they’re the right fit for your case:
- How much experience do you have defending clients against sex crime charges specifically?
- Have you handled cases similar to mine, and what were the outcomes?
- What is your approach to defending against false accusations in sex crime cases?
- Will you be handling my case personally, or will it be passed to another attorney?
- How often do your sex crime cases go to trial versus being resolved with a plea deal?
- What penalties am I facing if I’m convicted?
- Can you explain the legal process step-by-step so I know what to expect?
- How will you investigate the facts of my case and gather evidence?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses you see in my case at this stage?
- How will you keep me informed about updates and developments in my case?
- What legal defenses do you think might apply in my situation?
If a potential lawyer provides satisfactory answers to these questions, you’ll want to consider working with them on your case. At HMW Law, we have what it takes to investigate your case, develop a robust defense strategy, and fiercely defend you throughout the legal process.
Call Our Cleveland Sex Crime Attorneys
If you have been charged with a sex crime, we understand what an overwhelming, stressful, and possibly uncertain time this is for you and your loved ones.
Let our Cleveland sex crimes lawyers help you today. No matter how extensive or complicated your case may be, we are here to be the powerful and compassionate advocate you need.
Our lawyers have decades of experience defending our clients in Ohio. We are confident that with our legal backgrounds and knowledge of the legal system, we can help you reduce or remove your penalties or charges.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation with a Cleveland sex crime defense lawyer and get started on your defense case.
Call or text 216-774-0000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form