It would come as no surprise to anyone that this crime evokes intense emotions: Among the public, little tolerance exists for sexual offenders – and rightly so. This is evidenced partially by the existence of Sexual Offender Registration Boards, which didn’t exist as recently as a little over ten years ago. Now they do, and this reflects the public’s and the legislature’s attitude toward this crime. When someone is sexually assaulted, it is a truly despicable act. There is no defending it on any moral level. The problem arises, though, as to the risk of convicting someone for this despicable crime, when the facts on what occurred aren’t entirely clear. “Rape” has been a charge many times leveled at someone, who is not guilty of that act. Many examples exist of people who were innocently convicted of a sex crime, when in fact they were not guilty. These stories appear in newspapers every day. To this day, many observers of the famous Fells Acre Day Care case, prosecuted in the 1980’s in Massachusetts, believe the defendants in that case were innocent, and that prosecutorial and evidentiary abuses were rampant in that investigation and trial. This is only one such example. Many more exist.

Never mind a conviction: When someone is even charged with a sexual assault crime, their life will never be the same. They will always be “that person charged with rape.” None of this is to evoke sympathy for genuinely guilty sex offenders – at all. It is only meant to illustrate the tremendous gravity and destructiveness that attaches to such an accusation. When someone is accused of this (or any) crime, a thorough defense is needed. Calm is needed. Balance is needed. Objectivity is needed.

And legal talent is needed. We can provide that talent. Judges and prosecutors, understandably, show little leniency for persons convicted of sex crimes. Convictions for sexual assault and other sex crimes can carry long sentences and severe consequences that extend well beyond a person's release from prison. In Massachusetts, 20 years or perhaps even a lifetime of Sexual Offender Registration, and GPS monitoring, is now imposed upon people convicted of these kinds of charges. Having an experienced lawyer represent you is critical.

Our goals are simple: To prove innocence when possible, to seek treatment when appropriate, and to minimize punishment. We emphasize “to seek treatment when appropriate,” because we don’t wish to see any tragedy repeated. While our primary function is as defense lawyers and we cannot function as social workers, we do not “walk away” once our job is done. If we feel that a defendant needs professional treatment, we will do all we can to make sure that he or she gets it – for the benefit of the public as a whole.

To accomplishing our goals, we use a variety of legal tools, including psychiatric evaluation and testimony. We can work closely with forensic psychiatrists and psychologists to understand and communicate the intent and the capacity of the person charged with a sex crime, and to fully explore whatever mitigating circumstances might exist.

Contact us and we can discuss the particulars of your case. We appear before all District and Superior Courts in Eastern Massachusetts.