How You Behave When Accused of Sexual Assault Can Greatly Affect Your Case
Being accused of sexual assault is a frightening experience. Even if you didn’t do it, the mere allegation can make people see you differently—even to the point that your job and reputation are damaged.
The things you do after you’ve been accused of sexual assault in Minnesota can either make your situation worse or better. It’s crucial that you do—and don’t do—certain things to avoid mistakes that could hurt your defense.
In this article, our Elk River criminal defense attorneys will highlight some things you should not do when accused of sexual assault.
1. Do Not Ignore the Allegations
It can be tempting to ignore the sexual assault allegations and hope they will go away. They won’t. Once you’ve been accused, you need to take charge of the situation. The best way to do that is to contact a qualified Minnesota sexual assault defense attorney.
2. Do Not Talk to the Police
Your instinct may be to try to minimize the trouble by volunteering to talk to law enforcement. That’s a bad idea. Police know how to get people to confess to crimes, even crimes they didn’t commit. You should not talk to the police without an attorney present.
3. Do Not Contact the Accuser
Communicating with the person who accused you isn’t a good idea. They may already have a restraining order against you, so contacting them could put you in even more trouble.
4. Do Not Post on Social Media
Taking to social media to try to defend yourself can backfire. You could accidentally say something incriminating, and prosecutors will notice. If you tag or talk about your accuser in a post, that could be seen as harassment and could hurt your case.
5. Do Not Hold Back Evidence From Your Lawyer
To build the strongest defense for you, your Minnesota attorney needs to know everything that happened or didn’t happen. If you have any videos, photos, recordings or other evidence from the time of the alleged assault, give them to your lawyer.
6. Do Not Share Evidence With Anyone Else
Anything that might be evidence should be shared only with your attorney. Do not give evidence to family or friends or the police.
7. Do Not Talk to Other People About the Incident
Realize that any communication you have with family, friends or other people is not confidential. If you tell them things or try to get advice from them, that could cause problems if they’re called as a witness against you. The only person you should talk to is your attorney; communication with your lawyer is confidential (attorney-client privilege) in most circumstances.
Contact a Minnesota Sexual Assault Defense Attorney
A skilled Minnesota sexual assault defense attorney understands the complexities of these cases and can provide you with the strong legal representation you need. They possess a deep understanding of state laws pertaining to sex crimes and can navigate through the intricacies of the legal system on your behalf.
If you’re accused of any form of sexual assault or other sex crime in Minnesota, protect your rights by contacting an experienced defense lawyer at White & Associates. We’ll give you honest advice and do everything we can to achieve a positive outcome in your case.
Call our Elk River office at 763-241-0477 or contact us online to arrange a confidential consultation with one of our lawyers.
