Sexual assault or sex crimes are among the most common criminal charges in the state of Michigan. Matthew L. Norwood has experience defending clients from these charges and more.
Under Michigan law, sexual crimes are referred to as criminal sexual conduct, or CSC. CSC charges range from the first to fourth degree. In Michigan, ‘statutory rape’ is also a serious sexual crime charge where the sexual encounter involves a person who is less than 16 years of age. All criminal sexual conduct crimes are very serious and must be handled correctly by an aggressive defense attorney.
Penalties for Sex Crimes
Sexual assault crimes carry severe punishments including possible life sentences and 25 year minimum prison terms. With few exceptions, anyone convicted of sex related crimes in Michigan will be registered and listed on Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry for at least 25 years. Juvenile offenders will usually join the public registry after they reach the age of eighteen. Registered sex offenders may be monitored by GPS or be required to post their pictures online. These penalties will have far reaching effects in your daily life, limiting job opportunities and opening you up to harassment.
In a large number of CSC investigations, police are obtaining search warrants and seizing personal computers and sexually explicit materials. Sexually explicit material on your computer can form the basis of a criminal charge, including pornography, even if pornography is not directly involved in any allegations.
The state of Michigan refers to most sex crimes as Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC), for misdemeanor and felony charges. The most serious CSC crimes carry penalties from 25 years to life in prison. If prison time can be lowered or avoided, convicted persons still face the debilitating consequence of being placed on the sex offender registry for 25 years. The registry will automatically disqualify you from certain jobs, and subject you to harassment. Juveniles who are convicted or plead guilty to a sex crime will likely be placed on the registry as soon as they turn 18.
Contact us.
If you would like to speak with Attorney Norwood about your criminal charges, you can get a free consultation today by calling (810) 235-4639 or writing to us through our contact form. We want to hear from you.
Learn more about the practice areas of Attorney Matthew L. Norwood.