What Makes Maryland Sex Crimes Charges Unique

Sex crimes are taken very seriously compared to other offenses. When considering what makes Maryland sex crimes charges unique, a person could consult an experienced defense attorney. Legal counsel could help a person understand their rights and could fight tirelessly on their case.

Differences in Sex Crime Allegations and Other Offenses

A number of aspects in Maryland sex crime charges make them uniquely different from other offenses. The nature of the crime is potentially intimate since the accused and the accuser may know each other or have some relationship prior to the alleged commission of the crime. The evidence could be very personal and private.

There may be additional legal concerns regarding the accused’s reputation. A person charged with the crime may not wish to publicize or have that information about them spread. Such concerns are typically prevalent when someone is accused of a sex crime.

Effects of a Sex Crime Accusation on a Person’s Life

If a sex crime charge becomes public or well-known, it could have a large and very negative impact on a person. The outcome of the case may not change a person’s public image if an offense becomes public knowledge. Such damage could be done long before any evidence is reviewed or before the case is adjudicated.

Sex crimes are typically serious felonies, and it may be intimidating to face potentially long periods of incarceration. Sex crime allegations regularly have few witnesses for defendants to call upon. Corroborating evidence could be limited to the accuser’s testimony. An adverse outcome in the case and the invasive, personal, and private nature of the allegations coupled with the default public nature of criminal offenses could be notably overwhelming for a person accused of a sex crime. A defendant could benefit from speaking with an accomplished attorney to learn what penalties they may face in their case.

How Sex Crime Cases are Percieved

Sex crimes are that they are considered invasive, potentially damaging and destructive to the accuser. Prosecutors, judges, and the judicial system as a whole treat them very seriously since they may have a potentially lifelong and severe impact on the accused and the accuser. The associated penalties could be harsh and long-lasting.

An accusation that an individual committed a sex crime could have much broader collateral consequences than other crimes. It could impact their employment, their reputation, and their relationship with their family and friends in ways that accusations alone and other types of charges do not.

Understanding Sex Crime Investigations

Since sex crimes are typically committed or alleged to being committed in private settings, there may be few potential witnesses to the charge. The only testimonial evidence could be that of the accuser. While forensic evidence and other proof could be used if the defendant decides to testify, it is not always determinative. This typically depends upon when the crime was reported. This could be what make charges of sex crime unique to other offenses in Maryland.

Evidence That May be Used in a Criminal Case

The investigation may focus on forensic evidence, biological evidence, and other evidence from a rape case if there is inadequate documentation, video evidence, or photographing. A case could also rely highly on testimony. The investigation may primarily on the accuser’s recollection. There may potentially be a much broader range of collaborative evidence for offenses that are committed in public. This could include witnesses, ways that the offense was documented, ways the accused or the parties involved documented the act, video footage, photographs, or other types of available evidence that are typically not present in a sex crime investigation.

Learn more about what makes Maryland sex crimes charges unique by calling a knowledgeable attorney today.