Carroll County Sex Crimes Lawyer
Sexual crimes in Maryland comprise many behaviors but what they all have in common are potentially lengthy incarceration and consequences that can extend for many years after release from prison. It is crucial to have a highly qualified attorney who will aggressively fight for you when facing charges.
Arrange for the help of a Carroll County sex crimes lawyer who has extensive experience defending people charged with these offenses to learn the options available and to protect your rights under the law.
Overview of Sex Crimes in Maryland Law
Sex offenses, generally, are sexual encounters without consent or by force with an adult, a minor, or the elderly. Offenses involving child pornography in any capacity are stricly prohibited by Carroll County sex crimes laws as well.
Typical sex crime offenses also include:
- Helping someone to commit a sex crime or cover it up
- Sexual intercourse with a person ages 14 or 15 by a person who is four years older than the alleged victim or 21 years old
- Sexual contact with a person that the offender has reasonable knowledge the alleged victim is mentally incapacitated or helpless
- Prostitution, pandering, and soliciting sex
- Indecent exposure, stalking, harassment
Potential Defenses to Sex Crimes
A skilled Carroll County sex crimes lawyer can pursue varying potential defenses to an individual’s charges, and they do so by understanding all elements of the case and by gathering appropriate evidence for the defendant.
Witnesses and forensic technicians can be challenged, violations of rights investigated, and evidence challenged to be damaged or unreliable, all to raise doubt in a juror’s mind for acquittal.
Maryland’s Sex Offender Registry List Explained
Serving time for a sex crime – whether by jury verdict, guilty plea, a no contest plea (meaning accepting criminal punishment without admitting guilt), or if placed on “probation before judgment” means a place on Maryland’ Sex Offender Registry.
The registry has three tiers and the least restrictive is the first tier. Violators of fourth-degree crimes must remain on the list for 15 years. The second tier includes distributing child pornography and other third-degree sex offenses placing the person on the registry for 25 years. Tier III is for the most serious offenses, including rape, kidnapping, incest, and assaults, and these offenders will be on the registry for the rest of their life.
Those who fail to register face up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Sex offenders whose crimes were committed before the registry was approved by law also must register.
A person may be removed from the registry if the crime is expunged from the record or is pardoned. Those who move from Maryland are removed from the state’s list but must register in the new jurisdiction.
Contacting a Carroll County Sex Crimes Attorney
Each sex offense situation has a specific set of facts that require a thorough examination by a Carroll County lawyer to develop a strong defense. The consequences of a sex crime conviction, beyond lengthy incarceration and an embarrassing listing on the registry, is the difficulty as a convicted felon to obtain gainful employment, losing the right to vote or to own a firearm, or qualifying for a rental agreement. Choosing an aggressive and thorough Carroll County sex crimes attorney is a necessary choice.