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Rockville Date Rape Lawyer

Being accused of date rape can have long-term impacts on career opportunities, reputation, and could lead to jail time or registering for the sex offender registry. It is critical that someone speaks to an experienced attorney as soon as possible if they are facing rape charges.

Date rape is taken very seriously in Maryland and can affect someone’s reputation. If you are facing date rape charges, it is essential that you hire a Rockville date rape lawyer. There are several important factors that go into date rape cases. Unless you have extensive knowledge of sex crime laws in Rockville, contacting an experienced rape lawyer is important for building a strong defense.

Date Rape Defined

Date rape is any kind of rape that takes place where somebody has sexual intercourse with a person they know in some social sense. Sometimes, date rape is defined as a sexual interaction that was consented to; but was the result of inebriation through drugs or alcohol during the original social interaction. The person did not have the ability to consent once they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Date rape can also be an actual forced sexual intercourse that takes place even when there was no impairment and the two parties knew each other in some social way before the physical violation took place.
There are several factors that separate date rape from other rape cases. There is no date rape per se statutory violation in the State of Maryland. Date rape is another term for rape. The criminal charge is rape in the first or second degree. There are different ways to categorize the criminal charge such as statutory rape, date rape, or some other sexual interaction that was not consented to or where a person lacked the ability to consent. However, there is no specific statute that speaks directly to that language.

Potential Penalties

There are several potential penalties follow a date rape conviction. A conviction for date rape or any kind of rape, whether it is in the first or second degree, carries a maximum penalty of decades of incarceration up to life in prison for a first-degree rape. It can carry up to five years of supervised probation when the person is released and also a lifetime registry on the Sex Offender Registry.
The penalties are the same as other kinds of rape because there is no statutory definition of date rape. It falls into the same criminal categories of rape in the first degree and the second degree.

Mistake of Not Hiring Legal Representation

People accused of date rape might assume that date rape is not a serious charge because they knew the person involved in the sexual encounter. They may assume that just because they believe the encounter was consensual, the other party also believes the same and the allegations were not going to be pursued seriously by the prosecutor’s office. This is a serious mistake people make in these circumstances. If they are facing sex crime charges, they should hire a Rockville date rape lawyer.
Most rape charges do not involve a person being forced into a sexual act by a party they do not know, or there is a weapon is involved. Most rape charges fall into a gray area where the parties view the situation differently. That does not mean a person does not need an attorney. On the contrary, people should recognize that they need an attorney to parse out the specifics of the relationship between the parties to identify any motive the other side might have to fabricate their position regarding the criminal charge.

Hiring an Attorney During the Investigation Process

One of the most important elements of a rape case that the prosecutor, judge, defense attorney, and jury address in court is credibility. Attacking credibility or identifying the issues for why a party might not be credible is part of the lengthy process that those involved in the investigation must take seriously. The individual should have legal representation throughout the investigation and consult an experienced Rockville date rape lawyer.
A person being investigated for a sex-related crime who does not exercise all avenues to identify the best defense is doing themselves a disservice. As more time elapses between the allegation stage and when the initial investigation is initiated, the leads for investigation dry up. Jumping on the process immediately and getting involved in the investigation as soon as possible is extremely important for any party involved in an investigation.

Consulting a Lawyer

It is critical that a person contacts a skilled Rockville date rape lawyer if they are being investigated for date rape. An attorney can assist the person during the initial investigation to ensure that they understand their rights during the process.
If you are facing date rape charges in Rockville, it is essential that you speak with a lawyer who can help you through this process. Being accused of a sex crime in Maryland can have long term impacts and damage one’s reputation. Contact a skilled Rockville date rape lawyer immediately if you are facing sex crime related offenses and are being investigated. It is important to have sound legal counsel if you are facing date rape offenses.

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