The Importance of the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard Trial Verdict

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The Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard verdict helped bring light to the harmful effects of false allegations. Men (and women) are falsely accused of sexual assault, criminal sexual conduct, and other heinous crimes each and every day and Johnny Depp’s victory shows that there are severe consequences to pay for making such false claims.

Defense Mechanism

FOUR YEARS SINCE the curtain fell on the highly publicized trial of disgraced Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar, Michigan’s courts are playing venue to another public court spectacle. This time, the national spotlight is trained on Jennifer and James Crumbley–the parents of the Oxford High School shooter: Much like Nassar, they’ve become the subjects […]

What is the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA)?

The Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, or HYTA, is a Michigan statute that’s only available to people who are charged with a crime between the ages of 17 and 24 years old. This statute is especially important in sex crimes cases and in a wonderful option in cases where a client decides that they’re going to […]

The Dangers of Social Media

Social media can be a wonderful tool in just your regular everyday life. The unfortunate side of social media is that it allows individuals to hide behind a keyboard or a computer screen or a phone so you don’t actually know who you’re talking to. We’ve had a large number of cases and clients walk […]

Statutory Rape Explained

Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree is more commonly known as statutory rape, and the situation that we see most often is two young people, usually in high school, who decide to have a consensual sexual encounter. Often one of them is under the age of 16, which is the age of consent in […]

Can I Be Charged With A Sex Crime With No Evidence?

This is a common question that a lot of my clients ask whether they’ve been charged with a crime or not. And the truth of the matter is that you can be charged with a crime, whether there’s physical evidence or not. In fact, most of our cases involve allegations that don’t have physical evidence. […]

4th Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct Explained

4th degree criminal sexual conduct is a High Court misdemeanor, which means it\’s also treated like a felony in some circumstances that subjects the person accused to two years in prison and sex offender registry. A fourth degree criminal sexual conduct charge, while two years in prison and High Court misdemeanor doesn\’t sound very serious, […]

3rd Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct Explained

3RD DEGREE CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT IS A FELONY IN MICHIGAN At Smith Lehman, we see clients most frequently charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct when the complaining witness or the alleged victim is someone who is under the age of 15, but over the age of 13. The crime must involve some kind of […]

Is 2nd Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct A Felony?

What is Second Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct? In Michigan, second-degree criminal sexual conduct is defined as sexual penetration with another person when any of the following are true: The accused is 17 years of age or older and the victim is under 13 years of age. The accused is 17 years of age or older […]

is 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct A Felony?

1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct Explained In Michigan, first degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. The crime is defined in Michigan Penal Code 750.520b as non-consensual sexual penetration with someone under the age of 13. This includes sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal penetration, or any other intrusion […]

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