Houston False Allegations Attorney

Allegations of a sex crime are sometimes made under false pretenses. Even if they are made without any evidence, these accusations will, at best, render significant damage to your reputation. At worst, they can lead to significant jail time, hefty fines, and the loss of your job. Speaking with a sex crimes attorney as soon as you hear of a false allegation towards you can save your life and reputation.

Potential Motivations for Making False Allegations

There are many reasons that a person might make a false accusation of sexual assault. Some of the more common ones include:

• A vengeful spouse involved in a contentious child custody battle to discredit the other partner in an attempt to win sole custody of the couple’s children
• As a means for an aggrieved ex-partner to punish a person for perceived wrongs, such as infidelity.
• Someone with regrets about having consensual sex.
• A teenage student might accuse a teacher of sexual assault as revenge for a poor grade or another perceived slight.

In a few cases, a criminal accusation of sexual assault might be a means to lay the groundwork for a civil action to recover monetary compensation, especially if the accused is wealthy or high-profile.

In the case of children, false accusations can sometimes be suggested or perpetuated by police and prosecution interviewers who are motivated to achieve a high conviction rate, or by child protection workers who may be overzealous in looking for abuse, even in the absence of any real evidence.

False Accusation Statistics

The National Registry of Exonerations reports that during the period from 1989-2012, of 305 wrongful convictions for sex offenses, 23 percent of the alleged victims were adults and 72 percent of them were children. Innocence projects are inundated with requests for assistance and typically have a backlog of many years. Most of those who are convicted serve their prison sentences and spend the remainder of their lives on public sex offender registries, often resulting in their inability to obtain employment or housing, along with subjecting them to the scorn of society and the social isolation that comes with it. Even those few who are later exonerated are rarely able to resume a normal life. The stigma of the accusation is hard to shake, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence of innocence.

The Importance of Having Quality Legal Representation

If you have been accused of any sex crime, never assume that because you know yourself to be innocent, you will not be convicted. It happens every day. You must take the charges very seriously and engage the services of a very experienced sex crimes defense attorney with demonstrable success in these difficult cases. Many lawyers simply won’t handle sex crimes. Make sure that the attorney you choose is accustomed to handling these difficult cases and has a record of successful outcomes for clients.

Unfortunately, the presumption of innocence doesn’t stand up well in the case of sex crime allegations, especially those involving children. You will usually find little emotional support from family members and friends, and police officers may treat you as if you’ve already been proven guilty. The court of public opinion can be harsher than a court of law, which at least has rules and standards of proof.

How a Sex Crimes Attorney Can Help Disprove False Allegations

Sex crimes is a highly specialized area of criminal defense. It is labor-intensive and usually requires access to well-respected and credible experts to help your lawyer develop an effective defense. These are some of the many possible steps your Houston sex crimes defense lawyer may decide will be beneficial to your case when you have been falsely accused:

• Show that you have a credible alibi.
• Examine possible motives your accuser may have for falsely accusing you.
• Determine if drugs, alcohol, or mental incapacitation might have colored the accuser’s memory, if the sex was consensual.
• Identify and interview anyone who might have witnessed the interaction between you and your accuser and the events leading up to or immediately following the incident.
• Obtain medical and psychological records of the accuser.

If the alleged victim was a child:

• Bring in forensic experts to conduct a videotaped forensic interview.
• Get records of all forensic interviews and investigations done in the case, including those conducted by police, prosecutors, Child Protective Services, and others.
• Obtain all medical and psychological treatment, including records from the emergency room and the child’s pediatrician.
• Possibly order a polygraph. Although a polygraph exam is not admissible at trial in Texas, it may be presented to a detective, prosecutor, or grand jury to help make the case that the allegations are false and that charges should not be brought. If your lawyer orders the polygraph, the results are privileged and will only be used if they support your case. Never submit to a polygraph by law enforcement unless your lawyer advises you to.

Getting the Legal Help You Need in Houston, Texas

If you have been, or are about to be accused of a sex crime against either a child or an adult in Texas, immediately contact the offices of Houston sex crimes defense lawyer Mary E. Conn Law. Mary has been defending the accused for more than 30 years and has earned the highest possible Martindale–Hubbell and AVVO ratings from clients and peers in the legal profession. She has obtained positive results for numerous clients who have been falsely accused, including persuading prosecutors and grand juries not to indict, having charges dismissed, and obtaining acquittals at trial.

When the stakes are this high, experience, commitment, and legal reputation matter. Don’t answer questions, attempt to explain yourself, or submit to a lie detector test. Call Mary E. Conn Law today for your free consultation.