Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

A 29-year-old from Los Angeles has been arrested a second time in less than a month on suspicion of sexually assaulting women while impersonating a law enforcement officer, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyers believe that everyone deserves a fair trial where the state is required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person is guilty of a crime. Luckily, the U.S. Constitution agrees. Law enforcement officers make arrests for crimes every day where there isn't enough evidence to collect. Sometimes, they have a good reason and sometimes they do not.

But it's our firm's goal to aggressively defense all Pasadena sex crime defendants from these serious charges.

According to The Times, the 29-year-old is charged with rape in connection with an incident in Rosemead. He was arrested a month earlier for an alleged sexual assault in West Los Angeles.

In the West Los Angeles case, the alleged victim told police the man responded to an Internet ad for an escort and when they met he identified himself as a police detective, handcuffed her and sexually assaulted her. It's unclear what the details of the Rosemead incident were or how police linked him to either crime.

In cases where a person is allegedly impersonating a police officer, law enforcement tend to want to make an arrest quickly. It's understandable that a criminal acting as a police officer can confuse citizens and leave them open to victimization.

But also in cases like this, police often rush to make an arrest. In an area the size of Southern California -- about 17.8 million people in 2009 -- there could easily be several people who could be committing these crimes.

There's also the credibility of the witnesses. If both alleged victims were escorts doing business over the Internet, an aggressive criminal defense lawyer would use all available information in defending a client.

Our firm is able to scrutinize any forensic evidence law enforcement intends to rely on in sexual-related cases. DNA and other evidence is crucial to these types of cases and having a lawyer with the scientific training and education can be a big advantage.

When police arrest someone and charge them with a sex crime, their whole life changes. Sex crimes not only carry steep penalties (see California Penal Code 261), but a conviction can require the defendant to register as a sex offender for the rest of their life. That means whenever they move, wherever they go, neighbors and law enforcement can see they have a criminal record.

Sex offenders also may be restricted in where they shop, where they socialize, whether they can be around children and other sanctions. While other crimes allow people to serve their time and move on with life, sex offenses linger forever.

So, fight these charges diligently and preserve your rights. Allow Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyers to do everything we can to help you if you are in this position. Fight the charges aggressively.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Man Arrested Second Time on Sex Assault Charge" »

A 23-year-old man recently pleaded guilty to kidnapping a woman at gunpoint and raping her in a 2008 case that had gone cold until last year, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Our Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyer is the only Nationally Board Certified Criminal Trial lawyer in California who is also educated as a Forensic Scientist. We not only have experience in criminal law, like other Los Angeles defense attorneys, but we have knowledge of science and how DNA and other areas of science work so we can best defend you from these serious crimes. Los Angeles sex crimes are serious and can send someone to prison for years and sometimes decades. So, trust a law firm that has knowledge the other lawyers don't.

According to The Times, the 23-year-old kidnapped the woman as she walked through the Compton Courthouse grounds and raped her in an area not visible to passersby, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said. Detectives said they developed a "DNA hit" last year that led them to the suspect.

DNA has become a valuable tool for law enforcement as the science of it has become more and more prevalent. Detectives are trained in how it can help them solve cases, especially sex-related cases, and some agencies have entire units dedicated to studying and testing items for DNA.

With penalties for sex crimes so tough in California, these charges must be well-defended. According to California Penal Code 261, rape is defined as sexual intercourse accomplished with a person not the spouse of the perpetrator, under a list of circumstances, most of which include by force, when the person was unconscious or otherwise unaware or unwilling.

According to the law, the crime is punishable by a minimum of three, six or eight years, but prosecutors often push for tougher penalties if other crimes are committed during the rape. Enhancements for kidnapping, use of a weapon or other factors may be applied.

While this case was solved by law enforcement getting a "DNA hit," likely through a database of criminals, not all DNA evidence is iron-clad. DNA almost never is an exact match to a person. For instance, when experts testify in court, they test samples of evidence and examine it with a sample of the suspect's DNA for comparison. How and why the sample was obtained, its age and the chain of custody are all valid defense considerations.

Our firm is committed to using our own experience and that of hired experts to challenge evidence in the course of defending a case a preserving our clients' rights.

Continue reading "Palmdale Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life After "DNA Hit" Solves Rape Cold Case" »

ABC7 reports a former L.A. health inspector is headed to jail after being convicted of sexual battery.

Sexual battery in Los Angeles alleges that you touched another in an intimate area against their consent, without their consent or in an instance when consent was fraudulently obtained. California Penal Code 243.4 defines it as the non-consensual touching of another for sexual arousal, gratification or abuse.

Sexual battery can be filed as either a misdemeanor or a felony. In misdemeanor cases, the penalty is up to six months in jail and a $3,000 fine. Registration as a sex offender is typically required. Felony sexual assault in Los Angeles typically involves a victim who was restrained, unconscious or who lacked the mental capacity to resist. A felony charge is punishable by up to 4 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and registration as a sex offender.

In this case, the 51-year-old defendant was sentenced to 115 days in the county jail and ordered to serve three years of probation. He must also pay restitution to the victim and register as a sex offender for life.

A criminal protective order was also issued prohibiting the defendant from contacting the woman or going near her place of business. He was charged last May -- accused of assaulting the victim in a Pomona donut shop in March 2010.

In a separate case, prosecutors are looking for additional victims of a 55-year-old Costa Mesa man accused of sexual assaulting teenage girls on the bus. He pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor count of child annoyance.

He was accused of following a 16-year-old girl to her seat, where he groped her thighs and tried to unzip her jeans. The Daily Titan reports he was sentenced to 180 days in jail, three years of probation and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

Continue reading "Former Health Inspector Convicted of Sexual Battery in Los Angeles" »