A sex crimes conviction can have life-altering effects on an individual. Not only will someone have to deal with the personal consequences, but sex crimes are very stigmatic. Being the subject of a Birmingham sex crimes investigation can amplify that stigma, as well as amplify the legal consequences someone may face. Sex crimes in Birmingham can carry hefty penalties, which is why if you face these charges, you should seek legal counsel. A qualified sex crimes attorney can work hard to build your defense.
Start of InvestigationAny local agency has the authority to take reports and do investigations, but initially the complaint is going to come from perhaps the school counselor, a teacher, a neighbor, another family member, or a grandparent that the child has confided in. Sometimes there are mandatory reports that come from hospitals where people come in and say they do not want this to be reported nor the police involved. But there is still some mandatory reporting requirements when people come in and they have certain types of injuries, or children have certain types of injuries. It is incumbent on the hospital staff to do that.
Sometimes it is the alleged victim themselves that have been released from the event and immediately will call a patrol officer, who will come and take the initial report. In due course this report will be assigned to a more senior person, for example a detective who has authority to proceed with an investigation.
Deciding to ProsecuteMost of the time the police agencies are not making the decisions to prosecute or not. They gather as much information as they can, including if they are able to get a statement from the accused and then they present that to either what is called a screening DA, that is the District Attorney whose job it is to listen to the facts as they have been gathered and they may say they do not have a strong enough case, and they may need to get a statement from a neighbor or relative.
It is not the police agency making the decision whether a warrant is to be issued, more often than not it is going to be a prosecutor or someone in the prosecutor’s office who is responsible for that and only then, will the police move forward with a Birmingham sex crimes investigation.
Evidence CollectionDNA testing is very accurate when it is done properly and that is one of the dangers of course when it is not done properly, then it can point the finger of suspicion at someone who in fact is not guilty. And that is why having a lawyer who is well versed in the science of DNA testing, the manipulation of statistics, the contamination of subjects, and the storage of specimens, there are all those things that a lawyer who is experienced in defending cases like that knows who to talk to, where to go, and what the right questions are to ask.
Forensic evidence can be either incredibly helpful or extremely damning depending on the results of it. It can rule people out as suspects, but it also can wrongfully name them as a suspect if the science is not properly done. Law enforcement sometimes does investigations and collects forensic samples. All of that is done before they ever make any type of effort to communicate with any suspect or before they go and get a warrant, and most of the work is done on the front end.
Cases of PriorityThere is always an effort when a child is the accuser that ramps up the motivation, it ramps up the response from most law enforcement agencies where there is some type of claim of abduction when the child is released or even where there is a family member, neighbor, friend, babysitter, or someone—anytime there are those types of types of cases, then most police agencies are very responsive in trying to investigate those types of cases. There are certain types of individuals like the young and the elderly that seem to push for a heavier prosecution and a more thorough job of conducting a Birmingham sex crimes investigation and closing the case.
Benefits of Hiring a Birmingham Sex Crimes AttorneyA determined attorney can work tirelessly on building your case. It is important to have a local sex crimes lawyer on your side who has a good relationship with the prosecution and the judge working on the case. A capable defense attorney can help ensure that your rights are being protected while you are the subject of a Birmingham sex crimes investigation and can work in order to get you the best possible outcome for your case. If you have been charged with a sex crime, contact a local attorney. When you talk with them ask them about the sex offender registry in Alabama.