Sexual Crimes in California
Date Rape
More often than not charges of date rape lack material witnesses and/or physical evidence. Many cases of “date rape” are spouses of the defendant being charged. It is essential to your defense that we are able to conduct thorough pre-trial investigation work including criminal history, psychological profiles, potential motives, and that we are able to ask questions of character witnesses, as well as find information that might keep your case from going to trial.
Since rape charges can be extremely hard to prove, an aggressive and skilled defense coupled with early intervention is the most effective approach. After all, there is no law against date rape, per se, in California. The legal team at Rizio & Nelson is here to assist you with knowledge and experience in defending date rape and sexual assault charges. Contact us 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and consult with our attorneys to ensure that you get the best defense possible.
Spousal Rape
Spousal rape is defined as non-consensual sexual assault in which the perpetrator is the victim’s spouse. Spousal rape is also called marital rape and is often incorrectly associated with partner rape or intimate partner sexual assault (IPSA). Due to the popular and widely but wrongly held view that a man or woman surrenders the right to consent upon getting married, the law has been painfully slow to criminalize this form of sexual assault. It is now a crime in most states in the U.S., but exemptions still apply in some places, an example being the fact that in some places marital rape cannot be prosecuted if a couple was cohabitating at the time of the assault.
Rape charges can be very difficult to prove because charges often are made during a messy divorce proceeding or contentious child custody fight. Unfortunately there are many times when family law disseminates into criminal charges, and when this happens, aggressive and skilled criminal defense is necessary.
If you are facing Spousal Rape charges, it is absolutely imperative that you obtain legal counsel as early as possible and find a defense team with specific knowledge and proven results in rape cases. The law offices of Rizio & Nelson are here to assist you in this difficult time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact us for your free confidential consultation.
Rape
Allegations of sexual misconduct carry extremely harsh penalties (social and actual) and are often punishable more severely than any other offense except murder convictions. Sexual misconduct is rarely witnessed by anyone except the victim and the accused, increasing the risk of an innocent person being wrongfully accused and convicted. Due to the delicate nature of this type of situation, especially the fact that there is often no other witness, the victim’s credibility becomes an extremely important issue.
In light of the serious nature of both felony sex laws and California laws’ ‘three strikes’ technicality, the most important thing you can do for your future is to take your sex crime defense as seriously as Rizio & Nelson will. Failure to present a proper defense could not only result in serious jail time, but could additionally result in your having to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life.
Defense against a rape charge should be handled by legal counsel with extensive experience in sex crimes defense, as is available with Rizio and Nelson. Call us at any time for your free and confidential initial consultation, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Statutory Rape
Statutory rape is rape of someone over the age of 14 but under the legal age of consent (17-18 years old in most areas of the United States). As with all sexual offenses that carry not only severe prison time but also lifetime registration as a sexual offender, statutory rape charges must be taken seriously and defended aggressively. Unlike most rape charges, statutory rape does not require the victim’s consent to file the charges, but may be filed by anyone on the victim’s behalf, usually by the parents or legal guardians of the victim. Even in spite of the alleged victims claim that the sex was consensual, prosecutors usually proceed with filing charges.
The fact that the alleged victim is a minor is only one of several factors that will complicate a statutory rape case. The person being charged may not be aware that the victim was under the age of 18 because the age may have been misrepresented by the alleged victim (or a third party). However, this does not prevent charges from being filed or a conviction from being received.
If you find yourself facing statutory rape charges, call the law offices of Rizio & Nelson so we can help you understand the laws that affect you and help you defend these charges. We are available to schedule your free and confidential initial consultation 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so do not wait any longer to begin your defense.
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