Recently, there has been some attention in the media about R. Kelly having a female lawyer as part of the legal team representing him in his New York federal trial. Many of the articles discuss whether the choice to have a woman was a strategic move on Kelly’s part, similar to other high-profile clients like Epstein and Cosby. There is no doubt that selecting a lawyer to defend a criminal sexual conduct case will be the most important decision of a person’s life. People often ask our office about whether having a female lawyer makes a difference. While there are pros and cons to hiring a female, we find the more important qualities that make us the best sex crimes lawyers comes down to a few differences from other law firms.
We Focus on Sex Crimes Cases Only
First, and most importantly, we dedicate our practice to defending men, women, teenagers, and children accused of sex crimes. We do not handle drunk driving cases, larceny cases, weapons charges, or other drug cases. In fact, we decline those. By focusing on sex crimes we have the time to study the science and research to put together the strongest and best defense. We stay on top of the latest materials and the newest strategies for defending these cases. Not only are we familiar with the most current ideas and trends, but the lawyers in our firm are also consistently asked to teach other lawyers about our methods. For example, in the next four months, our office has been asked to speak six times to other defense lawyers to teach them how to handle criminal sexual conduct cases. We are honored to share our knowledge, particularly with lawyers who do not have the resources and access to experts that we do. Sharing our knowledge with other lawyers does not hurt our firm in any way, and if anything, ensures that less innocent people are convicted.
Our Own Experience Motivates Us
Our personal life experiences give us an edge compared to many lawyers. In many of our cases, as grown-up women, we are able to rely on our own experiences. This gives us an advantage to understand the dynamics of the relationships of the people involved and understand what motivates false allegations of criminal sexual conduct.
For example, as a parent to four children, I have experienced the panic a mother naturally faces when thinking something bad has happened to their child. While questioning a child is discouraged, there is no parent who would simply leave it in the hands of law enforcement and not try to get to the bottom of what happened. After seeing many of these cases, it is easy to see how misunderstandings can develop when speaking to a young child about sexual allegations. This is in part why Michigan has adopted a forensic protocol to follow to avoid suggestive questioning. Even when a parent does not coach a child to say something, the psychological studies and research show that suggestion can happen innocently and unintentionally, simply when a parent tries to determine what they believe may have happened.
On the other hand, it is also easy to understand how vindictive parents going through a custody battle, for example, can easily coach a child into saying things against the other parent. While my children have never made sexual claims, I will admit that as a mother, there have been plenty of times I was able to guide my children to get the answers I hoped for.
Additionally, as a woman who went through terribly awkward pre-teen and teenage years, I can look back on my experiences as a young adolescent. I remember getting in trouble, wanting to deflect attention from my own wrongdoing, wanting to shift blame so that I would not be the focus, and wanting to find ways to escape situations. We see many cases of false allegations where children and adolescents are trying to deflect attention.
We Are Not Afraid to Take Cases to Trial
Finally, our extensive courtroom experience defending criminal sexual conduct cases for at least fifteen years also gives us an extreme advantage. Many lawyers do not try cases. It is critical to ask any lawyer you may be considering how many criminal sexual conduct jury trials they have handled in the past few years. While other lawyers may handle a trial every once in a while, we are frequently in the arena and love trying cases. Because so many plea offers still involve prison and sex offender registry, a person accused of a sex crime has to have a lawyer ready for battle. We are those lawyers. Our results are outstanding and speak for themselves.
Discuss Your Criminal Sexual Conduct Case with a Dedicated Attorney
While many believe there is an advantage to having a female lawyer on their side, the real advantage at our office comes from our in depth knowledge of defending criminal sexual conduct allegations, our abilities as true criminal defense trial lawyers, and our own relationships and life experiences. We would be happy to have a consultation with you to determine if we are the right fit for you, and if you are the right fit for our firm.