If You Are Charged with a Sex or Drug Crime

A felony conviction can result in a term in jail or prison. Unfortunately, even once the defendant has paid his debt to society a stigma can follow him for the rest of his days. As such, it can be difficult for an ex-convict to obtain employment and housing. Certain crimes carry an even greater stigma, however; namely, those that involve sexual misconduct, domestic violence, or drug possession. If you are facing criminal charges it is extremely important that you hire a knowledgeable Grand Rapids criminal defense attorney who knows his/her way around the courtroom and will fight for your rights.

CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT ATTORNEY IN MICHIGAN DISCUSSES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

An accusation of violence against a member of your family can be very harmful to you and the family unit. Spouses or other significant others sometimes use the threat of filing charges for domestic violence as a means of gaining the upper hand in a dispute. State laws are designed to protect families; as such, if you are falsely accused, you and your criminal sexual conduct attorney in Michigan may almost need to prove that you are innocent, rather than the standard of our courts in which the accused is innocent until proven guilty. Domestic violence convictions carry very stiff penalties, depending upon the nature and severity of the alleged offense.

CHILD ABUSE

Your criminal sexual conduct attorney in Michigan understands how serious true child abuse is, but also knows that at times charges are wrongfully brought either due to a misunderstanding or a misguided spouse/former spouse. For instance, if a custody battle is taking place, one parent may decide to make an accusation in order to sway the judge. Moreover, sometimes social workers, teachers, or school administrators may misinterpret physical signs as resulting from abuse.

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Child pornography crimes have skyrocketed with the advent of the Internet. One may not even be aware that he is breaking the law when viewing a related site on the Internet. It is absolutely vital that you understand that child pornography crimes are very serious, and that it is illegal to access such material in any form, including off the Internet. Hackers will at times use child pornography to access computers. The problem then does not stop with your having been hacked; your disc history shows that child pornography was downloaded.

CRIMINAL SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

The State of Michigan uses the term criminal sexual conduct to refer to rape. Your attorney will warn you that this is a very serious offense punishable by as much as life in prison. The crime is considered particularly reprehensible if committed upon a child age 13 years or under or is committed by an individual in authority, such as a teacher. However, it is very important to know that one can even be charged with rape of a spouse if the act was performed against the other’s will.

DRUG POSSESSION

Charges for possession of an illegal substance are very serious, says a Grand Rapids criminal defense attorney. Indeed, the State of Michigan is considered one of the toughest states on drug possession and related crimes. The penalties for a conviction depend largely upon the Schedule under which the drug in question falls. The greatest penalties are for Schedule I drugs such as Ecstasy and LSD, which are not considered to possess a legitimate medical purpose. Other Schedules include drugs that have at least a limited medical use. A conviction for just a few grams can mean 4 years in prison and a fine. If you are convicted of possession of 1000 grams or more can lead to life in prison. If you are facing charges, then, you absolutely must have a very strong attorney in your corner.

CALL A CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT ATTORNEY IN MICHIGAN TODAY

If you have been arrested and charged with a crime it is very important that you hire legal representation that will help you keep your good name. Call a Grand Rapids criminal defense attorney today at Blanchard Law at (616) 773-2945.