COLLEGE DATE RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT

PROTECTING COLLEGE STUDENTS AGAINST DATE RAPE CHARGES

College is a challenging time for young adults. With college parties involving alcohol consumption and sometimes drugs, college students are often caught up in sexual situations that can involve misunderstandings and miscommunications. In some cases, these situations result in false accusations of date rape or sexual assault.

Sex crime allegations are problematic for anyone. But college students are in a place where their whole lives are ahead of them. A sex crime conviction — or even a charge — could result in the loss of future educational and career opportunities. Make sure you fight these charges aggressively.

At my law firm, I use my decades of experience and in-depth criminal defense knowledge to defend Ohio University college students against sex crime charges. With offices in Athens and Lancaster, I take a strategic, aggressive approach to providing strong defense against date rape charges, sexual assault charges and other sex crime charges brought against college students.

My message to parents and students is that I am committed to doing everything possible to eliminate or minimize the damage caused by the charges my clients are facing. In addition to more than 20 years as a lawyer, I have a Ph.D. in criminology, and extensive knowledge of forensic evidence. I take great pains to gather all of the facts and knowledge necessary to beat the charges for my clients: from interviewing witnesses and working with a private investigator, to exploring DNA and other forensic evidence in conjunction with other experts in the field. Always prepared when I enter the courtroom, I use my training and experience in public speaking to deliver factual, impassioned arguments and witness examinations for my clients with a strong courtroom presence that is compelling to judges and juries.

DEALING WITH THE UNIVERSITY

Students accused of sexual assault or other crimes may also face suspension or expulsion from Ohio University. Title IX mandates that colleges and universities take sexual assault accusations seriously, and they do. As a result, if your criminal case is not handled properly, you may also face consequences with the university. I can help.

YES MEANS YES

The challenges someone accused of sexual assault faces have been increased by the passage of "yes means yes" laws. These laws require that in order for sex to be deemed consensual, both parties must have affirmatively agreed before sex occurs. This means that just because no one "objected" or said "no" is not a defense. Although Ohio has not yet passed a "yes means yes" law, there is a current trend among law enforcement and prosecutors to adopt this policy. This means that defending false accusations of sexual assault is more demanding than ever, and must be done skillfully, thoroughly and aggressively.