Darien Sexual Assault Investigations
Sexual assault allegations should be taken extremely seriously due to harsh consequences of a conviction. If you find yourself subject to a Darien sexual assault investigation, before making any public statements or trying to engage with investigators alone, should retain the services of a seasoned defense lawyer.
What Evidence Do Prosecutors Look for In a Sexual Assault Case?
Unlike many other types of crimes, alleged sexual assaults tend to have very little in the way of corroborating physical evidence. While forensic evidence can sometimes be used to establish someone’s presence at the scene of an alleged assault, prosecutors typically cannot lean on it to prove that a crime actually occurred.
Police investigators looking into sexual assault allegations in New Canaan typically prioritize other forms of evidence like testimony from witnesses and acquaintances of the parties involved, as well as interviews with both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim. In certain cases, electronic records of text, phone, and/or email communications may be subpoenaed, as might audio or video footage from a security camera and photographs or statements posted on social media. Click here to learn more about evidence in Connecticut sex assault investigations.
Do Investigations Always Result in Criminal Charges?
Contrary to what some people may think, sexual assault investigations in Darien are not guaranteed to end with the investigated party being charged with a crime, or even with them being arrested at all. These investigations are meant to determine whether an allegation of sexual assault is supported by available evidence, so if the available evidence does not give law enforcement probable cause to believe a crime occurred, no arrest will be made.
One of the benefits of having a defense lawyer pre-arrest is that we can help you gather evidence and communicate with police to help further show them why you should not be arrested.
What Are My Rights If I’m Charged With Sexual Assault?
Even if an investigation does result in an arrest, defendants still have numerous rights under state and federal law—chief among them the right to hire an attorney to help them protect their best interests. Additionally, subjects of sexual assault investigations have the right to have their attorney present whenever they make a public statement or answer questions in private, the right to cross-examine witnesses presented by the prosecution, and the right to remain silent.
This last right applies while an investigation is still in progress as well, and it can actually be even more important to keep in mind at that point in a potential case. Since arrests for sexual assault are often based on testimonial evidence, a poorly phrase statement by an investigated party could end up being used as probable cause to arrest them, and subsequently as evidence of their culpability in court. Check out this article to learn more about what to do after an arrest for sex assault.
A Darien Attorney Could Help Handle a Sexual Assault Investigation
the best thing you can do to protect yourself during Darien sexual assault investigations is hire a qualified attorney and let them take the lead on building your defense. Talk with a sexual assault defense lawyer to learn how they could help you pursue a favorable resolution in your situation. Want to learn more about our firm? Click here to read reviews from hundreds of happy clients.