Finding a lawyer that will treat you with both respect and understanding is key. This is especially important if you face one of these sex crimes. This can include a child pornography case, child molestation case, possession of pornography involving children, solicitation, or sexual assault. Of course, all of these crimes can greatly affect your life, but those involving children have an extreme negative social stigma attached. This negative social stigma can often lead to having fewer options as far as legal representation goes.
If you live in Rhode Island, you will find that being convicted of any of these crimes can change the course of your life from there on out. Conviction of most of these sex crimes involve lengthy prison sentences, lifetime sex offender registration, restrictions on contact with family, loss of income, and loss of employment. Of course, if you are found guilty, your reputation will virtually be ruined. This can drive a wedge between you and friends and even family.
As mentioned, society seems to lump all sex crimes together and those who face charges are automatically seen as guilty. Therefore, it is important to find an attorney who is neutral on the subject and goes into every case with an open mind. If your attorney already finds you guilty, then the jury will as well. No matter what charges you face, you deserve the right to discuss your case fully and have a fair trial.
Since these often are more difficult cases, finding a law firm that is experienced in dealing with sex crimes is important. Before hiring an attorney, find someone who has worked with similar cases in the past. During your first consultation, ask about their track record with such cases and how they ended. If you find that they have had several convictions in sex crime cases, you may want to choose a different lawyer.
Of course, whether you are guilty or not, you will want to have as few charges against you as possible and the lowest sentence possible. Finding an attorney that is knowledgeable on the laws surrounding sex crimes in Rhode Island is vital. Though committing such a crime does deserve some form of punishment, having quality representation can help you lower this punishment and hopefully avoid ruining your life. If you are being wrongfully charged, an educated attorney, can help prove this and have your charges lowered or dropped completely.
If you face a sex crime charge, whether a child is involved or not, the first thing you should do is begin speaking to lawyers. Research law firms in your area of Rhode Island that handle sex crime cases and can represent you. Speak to individuals who have worked with this firm in the past and ask about how their case was handled. Begin setting up initial consultations, which are often free.
Overall, it is your constitutional right to receive an attorney and fair treatment under the law, no matter the charges you face. Finding a qualified attorney that can look past the negative situation and represent you with respect and no judgement will give you the best possible results. Being convicted of a sex crime, especially those involving children, can completely change your life. Avoiding these harsh consequences by hiring an experienced attorney should be your goal as soon as these negative charges show up.
