Greenwich Statutory Rape Lawyer 

Statutory rape is referred to as sexual assault in the second degree in Connecticut. The most common situation is where there is no force involved and the person probably consented, but they were not old enough to consent or, because of the person’s relationship to the other person (like a doctor and their patient) and they just were not able to consent legally. If you have been charged with statutory rape, seek the services of a Greenwich statutory rape lawyer. A diligent sex crimes lawyer can devote their time and resources in order to build you a solid case.

Romeo and Juliet Laws

To get charged with sexual assault in the second degree means the individual is between the ages of 13 and 15 because 16 is the age of consent in Connecticut, so a lot of times, in cases where a high school senior is dating a high school freshman, it puts them at like 14 and 17 or even 15 and 17, so the younger party ends up not yet being 16 years old.

There are laws in place that make this a serious felony if the defendant is more than three years older than the person, but if they are less than three years apart, the law would protect them. It added a protection in for the classic example of a sophomore and senior in high school where the younger party has not reached the age of consent, but they are only two years apart, so it is still okay.

How Statutory Rape Differs From Other Kinds of Sexual Assault

In instances of statutory rape, there is sometimes the situation where both parties are consenting technically – there is no force or threat of the use of force – but one of the parties is too young. Statutory rape addresses relationships that are not allowed by law even though there is no force for the actual sexual intercourse.

Connecticut adheres to strict liability so if the younger person is below 16 years of age, for example, it does not matter if the person intended to break the law or not, it only matters whether they intended to engage in sexual intercourse with them.

Third-Party Allegations

A lot of times, the person who ends up making the initial police report is not actually the younger person. Experienced Greenwich statutory rape lawyer will often see cases where parents find out that their 15-year-old is dating someone that they feel is too old for them and so they end up actually making the report or initiating the proceedings anyway. Because of that, a lot of times, the individual will not want to cooperate with the prosecution. They will not want to testify.

Building a Case

The most important thing to build a defense here is to show that the person charged is not someone that the court has to worry about, that could be showing that they are innocent of the conduct, it could be showing that they are not a threat, and if the person is or might be guilty, the Greenwich statutory rape lawyer will try to mitigate the penalties by perhaps having them evaluated or engaged in treatment.

That could just give the court comfort in knowing that they are not going to go out and repeat this behavior, and then if someone is saying they were innocent, they would again look at the pattern of conduct between the parties, communication, any surveillance footage that is available could be helpful, and the statement of the complaining party, to see if anything in there is untrue.

Qualities to Look For in an Attorney

When retaining a Greenwich statutory rape lawyer, you want to look for someone who is experienced and someone who has handled these cases before. It is vital that you work with someone that knows the subject matter, the laws, and what can go into a good defense. Most importantly, you want someone that is familiar with the Greenwich police department and the Stanford superior court because that is who they are going to be working with throughout the case. A qualified sex crimes lawyer can work towards a positive outcome for you.

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