Rape & Sexual Assault
Rape & Sexual Assault Defense Lawyer in Philadelphia, PA
Accusations of Rape, Sexual Assault or other sex offense are among the most serious crimes. Convictions for such offenses carry lengthy sentences in jail. Further, convictions for sexual offenses also have long-lasting collateral consequences in the form of Megan’s Law registration requirements, like community notification and lifetime treatment. Defending against Rape and other sex offenses is difficult, but it is not impossible.
Reynolds Firm, LLC is a boutique criminal defense law firm. Guided by former Federal and state prosecutor Coley O. Reynolds, our attorneys are the right team to defend you or your loved one if charged with Rape, Sexual Assault, Indecent Assault or any sexual offense. Coley O. Reynolds, the founder of Reynolds Firm, LLC, has over 24 of experience in litigating Rape, Sexually Assault, Indecent Assault and sex offense cases. He is a highly respected attorney with a proven and consistent track record of “Not Guilty” verdicts. Coley O. Reynolds worked in the Sex Crimes units of both the Delaware County and Montgomery County District Attorney’s Offices. During his time as a prosecutor, he worked hand in hand with detectives and investigators to build and prosecute the government’s case. Mr. Reynolds may have left his role as a prosecutor when he founded Reynolds Firm, LLC, but he took with him the knowledge of the strategies police and prosecutors use to build and prosecute a sex offense. Coley O. Reynolds knows the science behind DNA evidence, rape kits, hair and fiber analysis, and latent print analysis. He knows how to attack this evidence, which includes the retention of experts to rebut this evidence. With his knowledge, skill and experience, Mr. Reynolds has achieved not guilty verdicts with regularity for his clients.
The attorneys at Reynolds Firm, LLC, prepare each case as though it is going to trial. We conduct our own independent investigation. We break down the statements of alleged complainants and witnesses and challenge the DNA and other physical evidence. We are highly skilled at attacking witness testimony through cross examination. We also explore the possible defenses listed below:
If you are charged with rape or sexual assault, do not hesitate. Hire an experienced knowledgeable and aggressive attorney, like Coley O. Reynolds, to protect you or your loved one.
Defenses in Rape/Sex Assault Cases
Consent:
Many times, consent is the issue in cases of Rape, Sexual Assault, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (IDSI) and other sexual offenses. When there is no sign of force or when the age of the complainant is not an element of the crime, the case could hinge on whether there was consent.
Mistaken Identification:
The defense of “it wasn’t me” is common defense strategy in sex offense cases. When there is no physical evidence such as DNA, the defense of mistaken identity is an available defense. Police may have shown the complainant or witness a faulty or suggestive photo array or the identification procedure may have been tainted for some other, even innocent, reason. The Complainant may, due to the trauma of the incident, suffer from a faulty memory and misidentify a suspect. There are many reasons for a misidentification in a sexual assault case and the attorneys at Reynolds Firm, LLC are experienced in attacking faulty identifications.
Lying/False Allegations/Fabrication:
Unfortunately, people do lie about being sexually assaulted. The defense of fabrication is a recognized defense to many crimes but seems to be at issue in sex crimes far more often. A defense of lying or false allegations seeks to expose the complainant’s bias and motivation to “make up” a story accusing a person of a sex crime. Such a defense requires an experienced attorney to investigate the defense and then effectively cross examine the complainant.
Alibi:
Alibi is a defense to any crime which, when properly established, proves the defendant was somewhere other than the scene of the crime. The Alibi defense is established through witness testimony and may be corroborated through historical cell phone location data or tracking. An experienced attorney knows how to present this defense to the jury to establish an iron clad Alibi defense.
Mistake of Age:
This defense is rarely available and even more rarely results in a not guilty verdict. Mistake of age is not a defense in most sex offense cases and is unavailable if the complainant is under 14 years of age. For specific details, contact Reynolds Firm, LLC to discuss.
Impossibility:
The defense of impossibility presents at trial, where the facts make it available, medical evidence that it would be impossible for the accused to have committed the offense. This defense requires the use of an expert to testify to the exact impossibility and is very fact dependent.
False Confession:
It may seem contradictory to many, but innocent people can, and have, confessed to crimes they did not commit. Such a confession can be the result of law enforcement tactics during questioning. A child, a person with a diminished capacity or someone who speaks a different language may be suspect to giving a false confession. Such cases require an experienced aggressive attorney to fight for the defendant.
DNA Evidence:
While DNA evidence is usually thought of as assisting the prosecution, the same evidence can be used to exonerate the accused. Forensic scientists analyze DNA profiles from a rape kit or other sample and compare that “profile” to a “known profile” of the defendant. When the profile doesn’t match, the Commonwealth will usually proceed and argue the DNA evidence is inconclusive. Understanding DNA evidence and other scientific evidence used in the prosecution of sex crimes is vitally important.
DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, is the building block of the human body. DNA is in practically every cell in the human body contains DNA. DNA is unique in each person and is in people’s blood, saliva, skin tissue, hair and bone. No two people have the same DNA, therefore, it is a powerful tool that can include, or EXCLUDE a suspect. In fact, DNA evidence has never played a larger role in exonerating the accused throughout the country than it has recently.
To effectively use DNA in court as evidence, law enforcement must properly collect, store and handle the evidence. This is critical. To determine if law enforcement failed to properly secure DNA evidence, an attorney must conduct his own independent investigation of the manner and means by which the evidence was seized. It is important to hire an attorney experienced in the science behind DNA.
Many times, consent is the issue in cases of Rape, Sexual Assault, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (IDSI) and other sexual offenses. When there is no sign of force or when the age of the complainant is not an element of the crime, the case could hinge on whether there was consent.
The defense of “it wasn’t me” is common defense strategy in sex offense cases. When there is no physical evidence such as DNA, the defense of mistaken identity is an available defense. Police may have shown the complainant or witness a faulty or suggestive photo array or the identification procedure may have been tainted for some other, even innocent, reason. The Complainant may, due to the trauma of the incident, suffer from a faulty memory and misidentify a suspect. There are many reasons for a misidentification in a sexual assault case and the attorneys at Reynolds Firm, LLC are experienced in attacking faulty identifications.
Unfortunately, people do lie about being sexually assaulted. The defense of fabrication is a recognized defense to many crimes but seems to be at issue in sex crimes far more often. A defense of lying or false allegations seeks to expose the complainant’s bias and motivation to “make up” a story accusing a person of a sex crime. Such a defense requires an experienced attorney to investigate the defense and then effectively cross examine the complainant.
Alibi is a defense to any crime which, when properly established, proves the defendant was somewhere other than the scene of the crime. The Alibi defense is established through witness testimony and may be corroborated through historical cell phone location data or tracking. An experienced attorney knows how to present this defense to the jury to establish an iron clad Alibi defense.
This defense is rarely available and even more rarely results in a not guilty verdict. Mistake of age is not a defense in most sex offense cases and is unavailable if the complainant is under 14 years of age. For specific details, contact Reynolds Firm, LLC to discuss.
The defense of impossibility presents at trial, where the facts make it available, medical evidence that it would be impossible for the accused to have committed the offense. This defense requires the use of an expert to testify to the exact impossibility and is very fact dependent.
It may seem contradictory to many, but innocent people can, and have, confessed to crimes they did not commit. Such a confession can be the result of law enforcement tactics during questioning. A child, a person with a diminished capacity or someone who speaks a different language may be suspect to giving a false confession. Such cases require an experienced aggressive attorney to fight for the defendant.
While DNA evidence is usually thought of as assisting the prosecution, the same evidence can be used to exonerate the accused. Forensic scientists analyze DNA profiles from a rape kit or other sample and compare that “profile” to a “known profile” of the defendant. When the profile doesn’t match, the Commonwealth will usually proceed and argue the DNA evidence is inconclusive. Understanding DNA evidence and other scientific evidence used in the prosecution of sex crimes is vitally important.
Have You Been Charged With One of These Sex Offenses?
- Rape
- Statutory Sexual Assault (Statutory Rape)
- Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse
- Sexual Assault
- Institutional Sexual Assault
- Institutional Sexual Assault of a Minor
- Sexual Assault by Sports Official, Volunteer or Employee of Nonprofit
- Aggravated Indecent Assault
- Indecent Assault
- Indecent Exposure
- Sexual Intercourse with Animal
- Conduct Relating to Sex Offender
- Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Image
- Female Mutilation
- Sexual Extortion
Potential Punishment for Sex Offense Conviction
A conviction for a sex offense can lead to a lengthy jail sentence and have far reaching consequences in addition to prison. Rape and other felonies of the First-Degree carry maximum sentences of up to forty years. Depending upon the age of the complainant, whether under 16 or older than 60, the mandatory minimums can be up to ten years. If the defendant has a prior conviction for a SORNA/Megan’s Law offense, the mandatory minimum sentence is 25 years in prison. If a person has 2 prior convictions for a SORNA/Megan’s Law offense, the mandatory minimum is life in jail. Finally, any conviction for a sex offense would subject the defendant to SORNA/Megan’s Law registration and conditions. Click here for an in-depth summary on SORNA/Megan’s Law. (Link)
Rape and Sexual Assault Defense Attorney
Defending against Rape, Sexual Assault and other sex offense charges is difficult, but it is not impossible. When serious criminal charges, such as Rape, put your liberty and future well-being at stake, you do not want a defense attorney cutting corners. The Reynolds Firm, LLC, prepares each case as though it is going to trial. We do an independent evaluation of the case and conduct our own investigation using experienced private investigators. We also have a network of the best experts in the field to rebut the evidence the prosecutor will try to use to get a conviction.
