Skilled Lawyer Helping Everett Residents Fight Charges
Located in Snohomish County, Everett is a city situated 25 miles north of Seattle. It is home to an international shipping port, the largest public marina on the west coast, and Comcast Arena. Everett’s economy at the time of its first settlements by Europeans was tied to lumber like other parts of the Pacific Northwest, but today it is known for its aircraft industry. The city has 19 established neighborhood associations. As with other areas around the country, sex crimes can happen in Everett. If you are facing accusations of these offenses, knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys at Vindicate Criminal Law Group can try to eliminate or reduce their impact on your life.
Sex Crimes Carry Serious Penalties
Chapter 9a.44 RCW lists sex offenses in Washington. These include rape, voyeurism, indecent liberties, and other crimes involving nonconsensual sexual intercourse or contact, or involving sexual contact with someone who is not legally capable of giving consent. These offenses tend to be punished differently based on the age of the victim or the degree of force used. There are three degrees of rape, three degrees of child molestation, and two degrees of sexual misconduct with a minor.
If you are charged with sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree, the prosecutor will need to prove that you had sexual intercourse with someone between 16 and 18 years old to whom you were not married and that you were at least five years older than the victim. It also must be shown that the defendant had a significant supervisory relationship with the abused child. This crime can apply to school employees who have sex with an enrolled student of the school, or to a foster parent who has sex with a foster child.
Sexual misconduct with a minor is a class C felony. That means the maximum statutory sentence is five years in prison. Although there is a limit to imprisonment, a convicted defendant may have to register as a sex offender with the Snohomish County Sheriff. This means that he or she would have to provide all names and aliases, the address of any home or place of residence, birthdate and birthplace, place of employment, and several other types of identifying information.
Under limited circumstances, you can petition the superior court in order to stop registering as a sex offender. These situations include cases when the convicted defendant was a juvenile at the time of the crime, when he or she has spent 10 years in a community without being convicted of a disqualifying offense, and when the original sex crime does not disqualify him or her from petitioning. A person may be disqualified from petitioning under several circumstances, including being deemed a sexually violent predator under RCW 71.09.020 or being convicted of a class A felony that was committed with forcible compulsion, like first-degree rape, from 2000 onward.
Enlist an Everett Attorney to Protect Your Rights When Facing Prosecution
Failing to seek advice from an experienced sex crimes lawyer when you are facing prosecution in the Everett area can lead to lifelong consequences that are not only legal but also social. It can be very difficult for convicted defendants to find jobs or housing. It also can be embarrassing to disclose a conviction to people with whom you have an intimate relationship. Contact us today for your confidential case evaluation, or call (888) 212-4824.