As recently discussed on this Michigan criminal defense law blog, a person can face significant legal penalties if they are convicted of a sexual assault crime. In Kalamazoo and the rest of the state, a person may face these serious charges if they are accused of having unwanted sexual contact with an alleged victim or procuring sexual contact through force, coercion or another manipulative tactic.
However, in some cases, a person accused of committing sexual assault may be able to utilize different legal defenses to combat the charges they face. It is important to note though, that the facts of each alleged sexual assault and sex crime case will vary, and therefore, not all defenses will apply in every situation.
Primarily, an individual accused of sexual assault or another sex crime may simply allege their innocence. Innocence can be based on evidence that the accused was in another place at the time of the alleged crime or that the accused was with a person who can provide an alibi for them at the time the alleged crime was committed.
Another defense that may apply in a sexual assault case is consent. In most cases, prosecutors must prove that a person accused of committing a sex crime did so against the alleged victim’s desires. If an alleged victim agreed to or consented to the sexual contact on which the crime is based, then the accused may be able to stop a pending conviction.
There are other defenses that a person may be able to utilize when facing sex crime charges. Those who are in this difficult legal predicament can benefit from discussing their cases with criminal defense attorneys, who may help them craft criminal defense strategies that address their legal needs.
