Camden County Sex Crime Defense Lawyer
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Defending Against Sex Crime Charges in Camden County
Sex crimes carry some of the harshest penalties under New Jersey law. A conviction can destroy your reputation, limit your career opportunities, and land you in prison for years or even decades. With so much at stake, building an aggressive defense with an experienced Camden County sex crimes lawyer should be your top priority if facing charges like sexual assault, child pornography, or indecent exposure.
Understanding Camden County Sex Crime Laws
New Jersey statutes cover a wide range of sex offenses divided into four categories based on severity. Charges like aggravated sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual contact are first-degree crimes punishable by 10-20 years in prison. Second-degree offenses like sexual assault carry 5-10 years behind bars. Third and fourth-degree charges come with less jail time but can still ruin lives.
Camden County prosecutors go after sex offenses aggressively, so mounting a vigorous defense is critical. A skilled lawyer can identify weaknesses in the state’s case and develop defense strategies to exploit them. This gives you the best chance at an acquittal or at least minimizing penalties if convicted.
Investigating the Charges Thoroughly
The first thing an experienced sex crimes attorney will do is launch an independent investigation questioning all the prosecution’s assumptions. We dig into the accuser’s background and credibility. For example, if a bitter ex-spouse made an allegation to gain leverage in a custody battle, that context could undermine the charges.
Thorough investigations also explore forensic evidence critically. If the state is relying on inconclusive DNA or questionable electronic data, an aggressive lawyer can highlight those flaws. We also search for exculpatory evidence that detectives overlooked pointing to your innocence.
Developing Customized Defense Strategies
Based on the investigation’s findings, lawyers craft customized defense strategies targeting the specific allegations and facts. For instance, we may argue the physical contact was consensual not criminal. Other viable defenses include diminished mental capacity negating intent, violations of search and seizure clauses compromising evidence, or simply mistaken identity – you are not even the perpetrator.
To support these defensive theories, attorneys marshal reliable witnesses and expert testimony. Skilled cross-examination of state witnesses can also advance your defense. The key is developing alternative interpretations of the evidence the prosecution cannot effectively rebut. This provides jurors reasonable doubt leading to acquittals.
Understanding New Jersey Sex Crime Defenses
Several defenses apply broadly to Camden County sex crime allegations like:
Consent: Lack of consent is a required element of most sex offense charges. So evidence the accuser willingly participated undercuts the state’s case. However, consent is complicated with factors like age, incapacitation due to substances, and differences in power affecting legal outcomes.
Diminished capacity: If mental disabilities prevented you understanding the nature of the sexual act or controlling behavior, it may provide grounds for an insanity or diminished capacity defense. The key is presenting evidence of the impairment.
Mistaken identity: Eyewitnesses can easily mistake one perpetrator for another. An alibi conclusively placing you elsewhere or misidentified features undercutting witness testimony creates reasonable doubt.
False accusations: People sometimes fabricate sexual assault claims for ulterior motives. Evidence the alleged victim lied to police or has a history of dishonesty calls the entire case into question.
Illegal searches: If police lacked probable cause for warrants or conducted searches violating rights, critical evidence may be excluded sinking the prosecution’s case.
Alibi: Evidence you were elsewhere when the crime occurred is an especially compelling defense. Credit card receipts, cell phone records, eyewitnesses confirming your whereabouts etc.
Sentencing Mitigation Strategies
If convicted at trial, experienced lawyers pivot to mitigating penalties at sentencing. We marshal evidence of positive life factors highlighting redeeming qualities warranting leniency. Background investigations explore your family ties, career, community service, health issues and more for mitigating evidence.
The stakes are high, so engaging aggressive defense counsel is critical when facing sex crime charges. At my firm, we have decades of experience defending Camden County clients against allegations of sexual assault, child pornography and other sex offenses. Please call for a free case evaluation exploring your defense options.