Archive for the ‘Sex Crimes Defense Attorney’ Category

Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys – Entrapment as a Defense to Sex Crime Charges

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Recently, we wrote a blog article on online sting operations similar to the To Catch a Predator television show. During these stings, officers pretend to be interested in sexual behavior, yet as soon as the unknowing defendant approaches them, the defendant is arrested and charged with a computer crime and/or a sex crime. One possible defense to sex crime allegations may be entrapment.

In Michigan, entrapment occurs when police conduct induces a law-abiding citizen to commit a crime. To prove entrapment, defense attorneys examine whether the police conduct enticed the defendant to commit the crime. In the context of an internet chat room sex crime allegation, a successful entrapment defense could be that the law enforcement officer posing as a minor started the conversation and then went above and beyond to get the defendant to meet for sex. In the context of solicitation, a successful entrapment defense could be that the law enforcement officer posing as a prostitute or panderer approached the defendant and went above and beyond to get the defendant to pay for sex. The key is to find whether the officer’s actions induced the defendant to engage in the criminal behavior, or whether the defendant was otherwise predisposed to committing the crime. Entrapment can also be established when the police engage in conduct that is so reprehensible that it cannot be tolerated by the courts. If the police acted that wrongfully, the defendant does not need to show that the police conduct induced his or her commission of the offense.

Entrapment can be difficult to prove, which is why you should immediately consult with a skilled and experienced sex crime defense lawyer. Your attorney will investigate your case and the evidence against you and determine if an entrapment defense is feasible in your case. When charged with crimes like Criminal Sexual Conduct, accosting a minor, child pornography, or using a computer to commit a sex crime, contact our Michigan criminal defense team today at 1 866-766-5245.

Posted in Crime in the News, Criminal Sexual Conduct, CSC, Entrapment Defense, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney | No Comments »

Michigan Sex Crime Charges – Man Arrested for Crimes after Telling Kids he was on Reality TV Show

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

A man in Gratiot County, Michigan, was arrested this past summer for sex crimes against a young boy that allegedly occurred at Reed Park in North Star Township. The man was accused of making sexual advances towards children under the premise that he was part of a reality television show. To lend credibility to his ruse, he had a television crew with him. Local prosecutors charged him with accosting a male child for an immoral purpose. In Michigan, this is a serious crime that carries potential punishments of 4 years in prison and/or a $4,000.00 fine. People convicted of this crime will also likely be placed on Tier 2 of the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.

Police also learned that the man physically assaulted a female child at the same park, and for that he was charged with Assault and Battery. Assault and Battery carries a maximum jail sentence of 93 days and a maximum fine of $500.00.

Sex crime charges and assault and battery charges in Michigan can both lead to some serious consequences. Because of this, we recommend everyone who is facing similar charges hire a highly-skilled [link to Attorneys page] attorney. At Kronzek & Cronkright, we regularly handle both sex crime defense and general criminal defense. We know what it takes to successfully defend people. In fact, we have delivered many favorable results to our clients throughout our many years of practice.

Posted in Accosting a Child, Crime in the News, Immoral Purposes, Michigan Sex Crime Laws, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney | No Comments »

Sexual Harassment Causes Complications – Herman Cain Denies Sexual Harassment Accusations

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Rumors of past sexual harassment are swirling around Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. Cain was CEO of the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990’s. Two female staffers he worked with there accused him of sexual harassment. Though Cain strongly denied the accusations, he stepped down from his CEO position and, in his words, “allowed my general counsel and human resource officer to handle it.” Now that Cain is considered to be a top candidate for the Republican primary, he has had to defend against these allegations publicly. He is still strongly denying that any sexual harassment occurred.

In Herman Cain’s case, the female staffers only filed a complaint against him for money damages for his alleged inappropriate behavior. However, a person has much more to worry about if they are being investigated for a sex crime by their local or state police. As all good criminal defense lawyers know, being accused of a sex crime is a very scary thing.

In Michigan, the potential penalties for a sex crime conviction in a criminal prosecution (including Criminal Sexual Conduct in the first through fourth degrees, assault with intent, and more) are very harsh. Unlike a civil suit for sexual harassment, a criminal conviction can land a defendant in prison for many years. Convicted sex offenders will also likely be listed on Michigan’s public sex offender registry, which is an online database of people who have been convicted of a sex offense. Being on this public list can cause embarrassment, job loss, and more. That is why when a person is accused of a sex crime by the police or prosecutors, they should immediately contact a sex crime defense attorney.

Posted in Civil Sexual Harassment Charges, Defense Attorneys, National Sex Crime News, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney, Sexual Harassment | No Comments »

Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys – Michigan Man Sentenced for Using Internet to Entice Moms to Abuse Their Own Children

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Steven Demink, a former used car salesman from Redford Township, Michigan, was recently sentenced in Federal court to life in prison for enticing 7 moms to sexually abuse 12 of their own children. Demink created a fake online persona of Dalton St. Clair, a young, single father. He used this persona to meet single mothers online and get them to trust him. In one case, Demink pretended to be a psychologist and told one of the mothers that it could help her deal with her mentally-ill child if she got closer to the child. Demink encouraged all the moms to sexually abuse their own children and send images or live video of the molestation to Demink. Criminal charges were also filed against the mothers.

Demink was caught when one of the children confided to his grandmother that his mom had forced him to remove his clothing. Police investigation led to Demink and his role in this internet sex scheme. Most good criminal defense lawyers know that internet based sex crimes impose very significant penalties. For Demink, this was certainly true as United States District Court Judge Gerald Rosen sentenced him to life in prison. United States Attorney Barbara McQuade commented, “This sentence reflects the outrageous harm this predator inflicted on innocent children. In some ways, the defendant has already imposed a life sentence on them.”

If you have the slightest hint that the police are investigating you for a Michigan sex crime or federal sex crime, a computer crime or a child pornography crime, now is the time to get an experienced, tough lawyer. Expert attorneys will jump in right away and begin your defense immediately. All sex crimes carry very stiff penalties, including prison time, probation, parole, and registration on Michigan’s sex offender registry. Your lawyer will be your advocate in and out of court.

Posted in Crime in the News, Distribution of Child Pornography, Internet Sex Crimes, Michigan Sex Crime Laws, Michigan Sex Offender Registry, Possession of Child Pornography, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Molestation | No Comments »

Michigan Sex Crimes – Former Michigan Senator Goes On Trial For Sex Crime Charges

Monday, June 13th, 2011

A few weeks ago, we wrote about Phillip Arthurhultz, a former Muskegon-area Michigan Senator who had been accused of various sex crimes. “Senator Phil” as he called himself on his radio talk show, is alleged to have had inappropriate contact with multiple teenagers last year. When we wrote our last article on Mr. Arthurhultz, he had just been arraigned in Lansing District Court on two counts of conspiracy to entice a female under 16 for immoral purposes, one count of gross indecency between males, one count of bribing/intimidating/interfering with witnesses, and two counts of accosting children for immoral purposes. These are serious sex felony charge allegations in any Michigan court.

Recently, Phil Arthurhultz waived his right to a preliminary examination. The purpose of a preliminary examination in Michigan is to allow the judge to determine whether there is probable cause to believe that a defendant committed the felony crime charged. If the district court judge determines that probable cause exists, the case proceeds or is bound / sent over to the circuit court. If not, the case ends right there but may later be re-filed by the prosecuting attorney. For most skilled sex crime defense attorneys, it is a matter of strategy as to whether it is best to waive a defendant’s right to a preliminary examination in his or her particular case.

Michigan sex crime convictions result is serious consequences. For example, Arthurhultz is facing 10 years in prison for the conspiracy counts, 4 years in prison for the accosting and bribery counts, and 5 years in prison for the gross indecency counts. If convicted, he will also be placed on the Michigan sex offender registry.

If you are facing state or federal sex crime charges, you need the representation of a criminal defense lawyer who is fully experienced in sex crime defense. Sex crime charges often require intricate or specialized defenses, and it is best to find an attorney that is well experienced in defending those accused of sex assault, child molestation or sex crimes involving use of a computer. The right attorney is critical to defending these cases.Look for a defense team that has won these cases before juries. These are not cases for rookie attorneys.

Posted in Crime in the News, Defense Attorneys, Immoral Purposes, Michigan Sex Crime Laws, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Michigan Sexting Laws – Oakland County Prosecutor Reminds Students of Sexting Dangers

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Sexting: have you heard of it? Sexting is the sending of sexually explicit photographs through electronic media, usually done on iPhones, Androids, Blackberrys, and other smart phones and picture texting phones.

Though it seems innocent enough, the problem is that when the image is of someone under 18, child pornography laws apply. That is why Oakland County Prosecutor, Jessica Cooper recently spoke to students at Harrison High School. She wanted to highlight the dangers of sexting. Cooper stated that everything in electronic communication is permanent. Teens, especially, like to share these sexually explicit messages with their friends. Cooper stated, “Somebody gets mad, they send pictures to the football team, the basketball team … grandparents, a minister. That’s how mean, that’s how vicious it can be.” Not only does sexting cause embarrassment for the person in the photo, but it can also lead to criminal convictions for almost everyone involved.

Imagine a scenario where a girl under 18 takes a nude photograph of herself and sends it to her boyfriend. The girl can be charged with creation of child pornography and her boyfriend can be charged with possession of child pornography. If the boyfriend sends it on to his friend, the boyfriend can be charged with distribution of child pornography and the friend can now be charged with possession of child pornography. As you can see, when an images spreads throughout a school, there are multiple teens who can be charged with Michigan or federal sex crimes. Penalties for these crimes can include up to 20 years in prison.

Being convicted of a sex crime is very serious. Punishments can include jail or prison stays, the payment of fines, and registration on Michigan’s sex offender registry. Being on the sex offender registry causes embarrassment, shame, difficulty finding employment, difficulty getting loans, restrictions on where one can live and work, and more.

As criminal defense attorneys, we do see the irony in the fact that a 16 year-old in Michigan can consent to sexual intercourse, yet they cannot legally take a nude photograph of themselves. That is why we aggressively defend our clients who have been charged with sex crimes relating to sexting.

Posted in Child Pornography, Criminal Sexual Conduct, CSC, Distribution of Child Pornography, Michigan Sex Crime Laws, Possession of Child Pornography, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney, Sexting | No Comments »

Michigan Sex Crimes – Former Michigan Senator Accused

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Phillip Arthurhultz was a Michigan senator from 1979 to 1994, representing the Muskegon area. He then worked at the Michigan Liquor Control Commission until he resigned in 1998 due to an investigation into his questionable spending practices. He now finds himself in hot water again after being accused of multiple sex crimes against children in the Lansing, Michigan area.

Arthurhultz, now 63 years old, allegedly contacted or attempted to contact two 15 year-old boys, a 12 year-old girl, and a 14 year-old girl for immoral purposes at various times in the last year. Some of these contacts took place near Lansing’s Otto Middle School. Arthurhultz was caught after multiple parents complained to the school about inappropriate contact between a man and the children near school. The Lansing School District then issued an alert for employees at Otto Middle School and Pattengill Middle School, which resulted in the Lansing Police arrest of Arthurhultz.

Arthurhultz was recently arraigned in the 54A District Court on two counts of conspiracy to commit enticing a female under 16 for immoral purposes, one count of bribing/intimidating/interfering with witnesses, one count of gross indecency between males, and two counts of accosting children for immoral purposes. His preliminary hearing was set for April 21 in front of Judge Frank DeLuca.

Being convicted of a sex crime can change a person’s life forever. Convicted sex offenders will be subject to social stigma from being placed on Michigan’s sex offender registry. They could also spend a long time in prison and be required to pay a large amount of money in fines.

If you are being investigated for, or have been charged with, a sex crime, you need a highly-skilled sex crime attorney who understands the negative consequences of a guilty conviction. Make sure your sex crime defense lawyer has successfully defended many sex crimes before they take on your case.

Posted in Crime in the News, Immoral Purposes, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney | No Comments »

Michigan Sex Crimes and CSC Defense Attorneys

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

We are the law firm of Kronzek & Cronkright, a Michigan criminal defense firm that represents defendants charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct and other sexually related allegations. Our sex crimes defense attorneys have a combined experience of over 80 years aggressively defending clients.

The attorneys of our firm are well aware that any allegation of a sex crime, such as Criminal Sexual Conduct, Statutory Rape, Misdemeanor Sex offenses, or Federal Sexual offenses can be a life-altering event.  The Michigan Sex Crime defense attorneys at Kronzek & Cronkright deal with cases of this type on a day-to-day basis and have proven results of successful defenses for hundreds of our past clients. We have successfully defended 1st degree CSC, 2nd degree CSC, 3rd degree CSC, and 4th degree CSC cases throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, including Detroit, Alpena, Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Bad Axe, Bay County, Kalamazoo County, Lansing, Tuscola County, Muskegon, Ann Arbor, Livingston County, Midland, Clinton County, Allegan, Emmet County, Ottawa County, Adrian, Petoskey, Ingham County and elsewhere in Michigan.  We travel the entire Lower Peninsula defending clients’ rights and seeking justice for those who are falsely accused.

Our attorneys are highly trained, and highly regarded in the legal community; well-connected to an extensive network of expert witnesses and private investigators.  We have extensive trial experience and regularly handle cases that other attorneys shy away from because they are difficult to defend.

Our attorneys are well aware of the stress of these allegations and the strain it will put on you and your family. We would like to offer you a free consultation to talk about your case, as well as allow you the opportunity to see if our firm is a good fit for you.

Clients seeking to retain a high caliber law firm for their cases are invited to set up an appointment by calling (866) 7NO-JAIL (866-766-5245) or e-mail us through our contact form.  Skype consultations are available upon request.

 

Posted in Criminal Sexual Conduct, Defense Attorneys, Michigan Lower Peninsula, Sex Crimes, Sex Crimes Defense Attorney | No Comments »