Just Arrested for a Sex Offense

If you were just arrested for a sex crime, then you are understandably afraid of what could happen, because the future is uncertain and you have undoubtedly already encountered some ardent and hostile accusations. Accusations are inevitable once you are arrested, but they are not the last word on you or your future. Grabel & Associates is here to protect you, your loved ones, and the people you care about. Our sex crime attorneys empathize with the devastation these obstacles and challenges you are facing can place on your life, but there is the opportunity to grow, advance, and prosper.

Grabel & Associates is the paramount and premier criminal legal defense firm in the state of Michigan and fights to climb the razor’s edge toward the pinnacle of legal defense strategies, tactics, and innovative approaches to winning. We have repeatedly reached the zenith of what is possible and elevated the standards of the legal profession, constantly and consistently raising the bar for the most exceptional outcomes possible for clients. A win is defined by the quality and the character of the people associated with the results, and Grabel & Associates pledges to employ all the knowledge, wisdom, and experience encompassed by our nearly 20 years in service and more than 100 years of combined legal expertise to deliver your future.

If you have recently been arrested for a sex crime, there are some things that you should do as soon as possible. First, you should not talk to the police until you have retained the most qualified and best-suited team of attorneys to represent you and your family. Anything that you say can and will be used against you in any subsequent legal proceedings. Consequently, the few brief interactions that you have with law enforcement should necessarily be orchestrated and performed in accordance with the guidance and direction of a team of experienced trial attorneys.

Police Interrogation

There are two critical times after an arrest that you must be careful with police interrogation. The first is when you are initially arrested. A person is especially vulnerable during this period, because they may not yet have access to their attorney. Your sixth amendment right to counsel begins once you are held for custodial interrogations, so while you are being arrested exercise your right to remain silent.

Once you are at a police station and are held for questioning in an office or interrogation room, then you have a right to an attorney once the law enforcement officers begin questioning you. State that you wish to exercise your right to have counsel present before any further questioning. Do not agree to an interview or submit to an interrogation without an attorney. Once you ask for an attorney, then the police are required by law to stop interrogating and questioning you.

The most important thing you can do after you are arrested is to contact an attorney. You will need experienced guidance to counsel you through this process. The primary objective after being arrested for a sex crime is to avoid being charged for a sex crime. There are many options and things that may be done to avoid charges being filed during the pre-file stage.

Polygraph Examination During the Pre-file Stage

One of the most effective tools to avoid having charges filed is to pass a polygraph examination. The police may offer you a polygraph examination, but you should not submit to a police administered polygraph examination without first taking a private polygraph. A police polygraph will be used against you and be available to both the police and the prosecution if you do not pass the examination. Therefore, a failed police polygraph will give the prosecution ample reassurance to proceed filing charges against you or the person you care about. However, if you refuse a police administered polygraph examination, then you can take a private polygraph examination first, and you can always agree to a police polygraph after you know you can pass it. The results of a private polygraph examination will only be released to the prosecution if it is in your best interest because you pass.

Another important consideration when deciding to take a polygraph examination is who should administer the exam. There are hundreds of qualified polygraph examiners in the state, but you want to select someone who the prosecutor knows and will believe is reputable. Therefore, the better the polygraphist is the more weight the prosecutor will attribute towards the results in deciding about the decision to press charges. However, the best polygraph examiner in Ingham County will not necessarily carry much weight if you are being charged in Allegan County. Therefore, it is vital that you take a private polygraph examination with someone who the prosecutor is familiar with in the local area, and Grabel & Associates has been working with polygraph examiners and prosecutors in all of Michigan’s 83 counties for nearly two decades. Consequently, Grabel & Associates can arrange for a polygraph examination with the most reputable and reliable polygraphist in the county you are being charged to ensure that you can pass a polygraph examination.

If you successfully pass a private polygraph examination, then it may be possible to negotiate with the prosecutor to have the charges dismissed. However, the prosecutor may want to have you or the person you care about to undergo a police administered polygraph examination. Polygraph examination results are not admissible at trial except in the minimal circumstances of motions to suppress evidence and post conviction hearings for a new trial. However, the statements made during the investigation are admissible. Therefore, the investigator's will try to get the person being examined to make statements of admission during the examination because such statements can be used at trial.

Independent Investigation and Reviewing the Evidence

Reviewing all of the statements, affidavits, and evidence are essential components of preparing to negotiate with the prosecutor to convince him or her that charges should not be filed. Due diligence, thoroughness, and meticulously combing through all of the facts, evidence, and related law are crucial for developing the strength of the case. The stronger the case is going into negotiations, the better the potential outcomes, because the prosecutor will be more likely to agree with the perspective if he or she has a lower likelihood of prevailing at trial.

Grabel & Associates Approach to A Recent Arrest for A Sex Crime

If you or someone you care about has been arrested for a sex crime, then the first objective is to intervene between you and the police to protect your rights and prevent the police from building a case against you. The next aim is to prevent charges from being filed, or if charges have already been filed to get the charges dismissed. If the charges have already been filed or you have been arraigned, then the objective shifts to winning at trial.

Grabel & Associates is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please do not hesitate to call for a free consultation and an expert case evaluation. Call 1-800-883-2138 today to begin formulating your individualized, aggressive, and comprehensive case strategy.