Most Common Sex Crimes on Maryland College Campuses
The following is information on the most common sexual offenses that take place on college campuses and what you should know. For more information or to begin building a defense for your case, schedule a consultation with a Maryland student defense attorney today.
Commonality of Sex Crimes on Campus
College sex crime charges are common because college campuses are usually the first time that people live unsupervised away from their homes, interact with other people in social settings, and potentially relate to people in social settings where they might have sexual interactions.
A great deal of college sex crimes occur because of these reasons. There is lack of supervision in dormitories that house young people who are interacting with each other in sexual ways.
Also, it is often the first time that many of these people experiment with alcohol in spite of the fact that they are often underage and are not sure how to handle the effects of that particular type of substance. Alcohol impairs their judgment and decision making, and often causes them to interact with each other in a way that is inappropriate and often illegal. These are reasons for the existence of sex crimes on college campuses.
Most Common Campus Sex Crimes
The most common types of campus sex crimes are interactions that take place between two people who are familiar with each other. They might know each other, might be friends with each other, or might have dated each other. There are very few random sex crimes on college campuses. Most of the time, these incidents take place in dormitories, at parties, and particularly in situations where people are drinking or experimenting with alcohol or other kinds of substances.
Often, the question of consent comes up during the course of these interactions, specifically, whether an individual consented or did not consent. There is also a question as to whether the individual had the capability to consent or not consent. This means that people who appeared to have been in a consensual relationship with each other might not have had the capacity to consent to a particular interaction because of their mental state at that time. They may have been under the influence of alcohol or some other substance that took away their ability to consciously make the decision.
Sex crimes can include very minor physical touching of another person or include first degree rape, which is forcing another person into a sexual act by way of some kind of threat, force, or use of force. The charges can vary from things that are considered very minor up to things that are extremely serious.
How An Attorney Can Help
Student defense attorneys assist in the investigations of any criminal allegations that are brought, such as the investigation of things like rape, DNA evidence, or statements made by witnesses. These attorneys may assist in determining whether the government or the university has grounds for bringing charges, and whether those charges will survive a hearing of a disciplinary nature on campus or at a criminal court proceeding.
Even if a person believes that the evidence against them is very strong, a defense attorney can assist in making sure that the punishment is appropriate for the offense committed. For example, a person who is suspected of touching another person inappropriately might not be someone who belongs in jail or someone who is expelled from the university. The situation may be something that can be resolved in another way.
On the other hand, a person who is alleged to have committed a crime that is far more serious might get a different approach from the student defense attorney on how best to structure a strategy that is appropriate for their defense.