Articles Posted in Sex Crimes

Earlier today I was reading the Lawrence Eagle Tribune and came across an article about a Methuen, Massachusetts man just convicted of one count of Rape. The man, Kenneth Poirier was being tried for a rape that occurred over three years ago. It was alleged that Poirier picked up a woman outside of a Lawrence rooming house and at gunpoint and took her to a wooded area in Methuen where he raped her. His defense was that believing she was a prostitute he picked her up and that all sexual contact between the two was consensual.

An earlier article about this trial reported that the woman did not appear in court to testify claiming that she had medical issues. However, the police had to go out and find her. When they did she was put up in a hotel, fed and clothed. The woman admitted having no recollection as to whether or not she told the police that she was forced into the car at gunpoint. There was no physical evidence corroborating the woman’s claim that she had been raped.

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Consent is a defense to allegations of Rape. It is one of two defenses I would expect to see in a case with facts such as this. The other defense would be a denial of engaging in any sexual act. Both defenses seem to fit the newspaper accounts of the crime. For example, where, as here there is no physical evidence suggesting a sexual assault I can see where the defendant would deny any unlawful contact with this woman. Why then would she make these accusations? There are countless reasons, the most common being a prostitution deal gone bad or a failed drug deal. But you have to ask yourself this. If Poirier didn’t rape her and there was no physical evidence corroborating her accusations, why admit to having sex at all?

Sex crimes can be difficult to defend. There can be a tendency on the part of jurors to sympathize with someone making this claim. Even though judges instruct jurors not to let sympathy interfere with their verdict the actions of the complaining witness can elicit emotion and sway jurors. In this case it is also troubling that as the victim became emotional during the trial the judge ordered a recess for her to compose herself. The recess causes pause and immediate reflection on the words and actions of the emotional witness. Some lawyer might even argue that the judge’s decision to break from trial at that time suggested that the judge was sympathetic towards the witness and perhaps believed her. This can be difficult for the defense to overcome, regardless of guilt or innocence.

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I was browsing the web earlier today and saw a CBS News article about the “thrill kill” that happened last week. The article mentioned that one of the accused tweeted about killing someone, three days before he supposedly committed this crime. He tweeted under a handle @Jamesakabug. This particular defendant also tweeted about being a thug and about Firearms. Even though the tweets were not addressed towards any individual victim you can be sure the district attorney will fight to have them admitted as evidence. In Massachusetts there is no doubt in my mind that most judges would permit the prosecution to introduce this as evidence. Massachusetts Appellate Courts have ruled that in cases involving Firearms, a person’s statement about guns, can in many contexts be admissible to show that this person had familiarity with Firearms. While the statement will likely be admitted with a limiting instruction the damage is still done.

This is not an isolated case in which a criminal defendant published something on social media. On August 9th of this year the Bradenton Herald published an article about a Miami man who posted details about killing his wife on Facebook. Just two days ago police in Long Island were able to charge a man for Statutory Rape after seizing Facebook posts between the twenty five year old man and his thirteen year old girlfriend. Some Ohio high school football players got themselves in some hot water after posting a video and pictures of a girl who, while passed out had been the victim of a Sexual Assault and possibly a Rape on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. A man from Hawaii had a drinking and driving posted showing him having a beer while driving and talking to a camera for five minutes.

As a Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer I see more and more evidence being used against my clients that stemmed from their ill-advised posts. There is however much more to this rising trend. I have some clients who have been framed by social media posts. How does this happen? Well in this case the damaging posts were created with my client’s cell phone. Most people now carry smart phones, especially young people. They all have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+ apps. They leave these apps in a “signed in” mode. Anyone who accesses one of these phones can go right to the app and post as if it were the person who owned the social media page making the comment. In several of these cases witnesses were located and provided the defense with evidence of sabotaging the social media pages. Here is how else social media confessions can help the defense. There are people other than the accused who take credit for the commission of the crime. Their admission is admissible evidence at trial and if there exists some corroboration of the statement a jury might believe that confession credible evidence favoring the defense. Also, witnesses sometimes boast about their value to one side or another through social media outlets. The bottom line is this; social media now plays a significant role in Massachusetts Criminal Defense strategy, a role that should be embraced by the defense.

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Any Criminal Lawyer in Massachusetts will tell you that you don’t want your case to be prosecuted in the Federal Court. There is a litany of reasons why. Federal prosecutors have a limited ability to negotiate pleas. They have numerous channels they must go through to get approval to “amicably” resolve cases. In some cases they need authority from Washington, D.C. The laws in many state are often more pro-defendant in state courts than they are in the federal courts. In Massachusetts for example Article 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights provides greater protections than its counterpart, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Article 12 is viewed more favorably by the defense than the Fifth Amendment. More time is permitted in state court for trial preparation than in federal court. And, for the most part, sentencing schemes in the federal court system are much more rigid and severe than in state courts. Judges in federal courts lack the discretion vested in state court judges to impose sentences that they deem fair and the result is often a huge sentence drastically disproportionate to the crime charged. Here is a look at that sentiment in the context of a Federal Child Pornography Distribution Case.

Lets assume that the client, John Doe is caught in Possession of Child Pornography using peer to peer file sharing. Lets further assume that John has no criminal record. John will be charged with Distribution of Child Pornography. In federal court that charge carries a minimum mandatory five-year sentence. Now in Massachusetts the same crime carries a ten-year minimum mandatory sentence but the prosecutors have discretion to reduce that to a possession charge, which they often do. I have never seen a district attorney ask for the ten-year sentence for a first time offender with no criminal record. Rarely will state prosecutors even ask for a five-year sentence on the possession whereas the federal prosecutors will not go below the five-year minimum mandatory. So, difference number one is the ability to negotiate a better result for your client and to get below the dreaded minimum mandatory required by federal law. Difference number two involves the federal sentencing guidelines. Still using John Doe and these facts as our example, lets look at factors that will likely result in John getting much more than five years if prosecuted in federal court. John’s base offense level is a 22. Assuming a criminal history category I he is looking at a guideline range of 41-51 months. But this is just the beginning. If the minor(s) in the images are under the age of twelve or prepubescent than two levels are added giving a guideline range of 51-63 months. If a computer was used to view the material then add two more levels making the sentence 63-78 months. If there were at least ten images add another two levels making the sentence 78-97 months. This is just the beginning. If sadistic conduct is involved, add four more levels. If there are six hundred or more images add another three levels to these calculations. Keep in mind, most of these images are accessed in large volumes. Six hundred plus images is more the norm than the exception. So now what are we up to? A level 35 which requires a sentence of 168-210 months, or fourteen years to seventeen and one half years. So while John Doe actually may not actually get the 168-210 month sentence you can be sure that the prosecutor will be pushing a sentence much greater than that which a state district attorney would be looking for. This is why it is critical that when hiring a lawyer you make sure that your lawyer has experience in the system where the case is being prosecuted. There are things that can be done to convince judges to impose a just sentence.

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It is now 2013. Just about every American has access of some sort to the Internet. Information flows freely and quickly. Whatever you want to know about is at the tip of your fingers. If you want sports news, just Google it. If you want to know how to fix your car you can Google it. If you need a recipe you can Google it. If you have an ailment you can Google it to try to find out what it is. And of course, if you want legal news just Google it. Even if you are not searching for information it appears on every page of the Internet through advertisements or pop up adds. You can’t escape the overload of information being thrown at you each day. And everyday more and more Criminal Defense Lawyers in Massachusetts and throughout the country are launching websites. And on every criminal law website, somewhere in bold print you will see a message telling you not to talk to the cops. Yet for some reason people choose to ignore this warning. They talk to the police and then get charged with a crime.

Here is what I am talking about. About two years ago a perspective client came into my office with a police report and grand jury minutes. He was charged with Rape. He denied the allegations. The police report said that Jane Doe, a pseudonym showed up at a local police station claiming that she had been raped by this man. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon when she made the report. She told the sexual assault officer that she had a date with the man the night before. She said that the two went out to dinner and then back to her apartment for a drink. Her roommate was awake watching television in an adjoining room. They started to kiss. She then claimed that the man became aggressive and digitally penetrated her. She never told her roommate. The roommate heard nothing. The complainant never went to the hospital. There were no texts between her and the defendant. Just her report to the police. So what happened next? The police went out to visit with the man. He confirmed everything that the woman told the police…except for one thing. He denied that the digital penetration was done without her consent. What? That’s right. He actually admitted to committing a sexual act that if proven to be nonconsensual would leave him with a Felony Sex Crimes Conviction. Had the man not opened his mouth he probably would not have been charged with anything at all. But now, simply because he opened his mouth he faced a Rape Charge.

So how do you handle a situation like this one. The answer is simple. Just shut your mouth. I have never had a client who was able to talk his way out of being charged with a crime. To the contrary, a large percentage of my clients charged with crimes are being charged because they did talk to the police. Keep this in mind. Your silence can never be used against you in court. You have an absolute right to remain silent and no district attorney or other prosecution witness can comment on that silence to a jury. If the police tell you that it is in your best interests to talk and cooperate with them they are lying to you. It is not in your best interests. So please keep your mouth shut.

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Kaitlyn Hunt is an eighteen year old high school student who had a consensual relationship with a fifteen year old basketball teammate. The younger girls’ parents found out about the relationship and pressed criminal charges. Now, Hunt faces Felony Sex Crime Charges. A plea deal that prosecutors offered for Hunt would have placed her on house arrest for two years. Of course, this felony conviction would result in Hunt having to register as a Sex Offender. The article states that Hunt would have plead guilty to misdemeanor sex crimes but not to the felonies. Hunt’s lawyer correctly pointed out that being a convicted felon would adversely impact her ability to enter college and to prevent her from holding certain professional positions. Unlike Massachusetts where the age of consent is sixteen the age of consent in Florida is seventeen.

The Hunt case has sparked some interesting debate. A state senator, Thad Altman, known for having conservative views believes that this case is “tragic” and that the laws should be changed. He is quoted as saying “You would like to think this wouldn’t happen in this country, two teenagers in a moment of passion do something consensual and suddenly one is facing fifteen years in prison”. Altman intends to sponsor legislation that would address the Florida age limit issue. Altman is not alone. Over three hundred people have petitioned the Florida legislature to abort this prosecution.

So you ask “does this happen in Massachusetts”. The simple answer is yes. It does. Massachusetts law is a bit more forgiving in one respect. The age of consent is sixteen, one year younger than it is in Florida. I have defended charges involving consensual sexual relationships between fifteen year olds and seventeen year olds. Perhaps most troubling is the nomenclature of the crime in Massachusetts. It is called Rape of a Child. That is what your criminal record will reflect if you are convicted of having consensual sex with your underage partner. Your board of probation printout will not distinguish between a consensual relationship or a forcible rape. It will simply read that you were convicted of Rape of a Child in Massachusetts. You will most likely have to register as a level two or three sex offender, something that will stay with you for years and possibly for life. Schools will not accept you. Your employment opportunities will be limited. Your neighbors will probably learn that you have been convicted of a sex crime. You will not be able to coach your kids youth sports teams. Your life will be ruined.

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Today’s Lawrence Eagle Tribune reports that evidence in the case against Lori Barron, defendant in the Lawrence, Massachusetts day spa Sex Trafficking Scandal is still being processed. In the meantime countless local businessmen and male professionals fears are mounting.

It was about one week ago that news of Barron’s arrest and a potential “client list” broke. Barron, a fifty-year old Salem woman supposedly recorded her employees engaging in unlawful sexual acts and threatened them with exposure if they quit or failed to accede to her demands. Authorities estimate that Barron had hundreds of customers some of whom she solicited through backpage.com and other internet advertising websites. Barron, who has a previous criminal record for Prostitution has been charged with Prostitution, Photographing Unsuspecting Persons in the Nude, Human Sex Trafficking, violating the Massachusetts Wiretap Statute, Extortion and Intimidation of a Witness. She posted thirty thousand dollars cash bail in the Lawrence District Court. The police learned of her operation when a former employee complained that Barron Assaulted her when she refused to give in to a client’s peculiar sexual demands.

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So here is what clients now fear. The supposed “client list” is rumored to contain the names of lawyers, doctors, teachers, law enforcement officials, court employees firefighters, politicians and local professionals and businessmen. It is suggested that proof of that list exists through cell phone records and a computer hard drive, both of which are being examined through forensic experts. The most legitimate concern involves the publication of the names of the persons on the list. Try explaining this one to your wife, kids, friends and employer. Our office has received countless calls in the past week from potential clients and existing clients concerned about the dissemination of the list and their possible criminal exposure. I can tell you as a practical matter that the former is much more ominous than the latter. As a Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer I am pretty confident that if criminal charges against clients issue the cases will be difficult to prove unless of course there is video evidence of unlawful acts or the person talks to the police. Absent video evidence and a confession the cases will be virtually non-provable.

This is not to say that the people on the “client list” will not be prosecuted. The standard for issuing criminal complaints is far lower than the standard for proving the crime alleged. Even if law enforcement knows that the case cannot be proved they might still issue complaints or publish the list. Why would they do this? It is usually done to serve as a deterrent. It sends a message to people who engage in this behavior or are inclined to do so. The message is simple. If you are going to frequent prostitution establishments be prepared for public exposure and humiliation even if the district attorney’s office cannot successfully prosecute you.

In the meantime clients have asked me what they can do right now. The simple answer is nothing. Why put your name out there? You might not be on the list. Can you see the client list? No. You can’t. Is there anything you can do to prevent the issuance of criminal charges? Yes. Hire a Massachusetts Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer. Your lawyer will make sure that you avoid incriminating yourself so that if you are a suspect or if you are charged you will not be in a position where your words help to convict you.

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Today the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its opinion in Commonwealth v. Parent, SJC-11181. After a jury trial Parent was convicted of Indecent Assault and Battery, Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. In reversing convictions for a the Massachusetts Sex Crime and other the other charges the Court in Parent found the following facts:

The defendant’s fifteen year old daughter invited a fourteen year old girlfriend to spend the night at her home. The daughter asked the defendant if she and her friend could have an alcoholic drink. The defendant gave them each a bottle of alcoholic lemonade. Once they finished their drink Parent went to a local store to buy two six packs of the same drink. The girls were with him. They went home. The girls each had a few more drinks. The girls fell asleep on a sofa bed while watching television. The victim claims to have woken up with the defendant lying down between her and the daughter on the bed. The victim testified that the defendant had his hand in her pants, rubbing her genitalia over her underwear. She stopped him, the defendant left and the fourteen year old friend fell back to sleep. The next day Parent’s fiancé took the girls to the movies. The victim ran into a friend and disclosed what had happened the night before. The defendant’s daughter agreed that he had provided them with alcohol and that he was becoming intoxicated as the night progressed. She never saw or heard him get into the bed with them.

The defense contended that the victim was lying. In support of this defense counsel argued that the friend changed her story over time. This was corroborated by a detective’s report generated four days after the incident. In total defense recognized four significant inconsistencies between the trial testimony and what was related to the detective. On cross-examination the victim denied making the inconsistent statements to the detective. Accordingly, defense counsel tried elicit the inconsistencies from the detective. The judge would not permit it. The Supreme Judicial Court found this to be an improper limitation of Parent’s right to impeach the victim. The Court further found this to be prejudicial and reversed the conviction for Indecent Assault and Battery.

The Supreme Judicial Court addressed other issues as well. The trial judge improperly permitted the district attorney to elicit from the detective evidence that the complaining witness told him that Parent committed a sexual assault on her. The Court found this to be violative of the first complaint doctrine. In fact its only purpose was to pile on evidence that suggested that the victim was telling the truth and that the act did in fact occur. The Court restated its position that “[t]he testimony of multiple complaint witnesses likely serves no additional corroborative purpose, and may unfairly enhance a complainant’s credibility as well as prejudice the defendant by repeating for the jury the often horrific details of an alleged crime.” Nor was the friend’s statement to the detective admissible for the purpose of rehabilitating her credibility.

The count charging the defendant with delivering alcohol to his own daughter was also reversed. The applicable law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138 Section 34 prohibits providing alcohol to anyone under the age of twenty one. Specifically, you cannot sell or deliver alcohol to a person under age, you cannot buy a drink for someone under age in a bar or restaurant and you cannot give an underage person alcohol. There is an exception provided by the statute. You can give it to your child or grandchild. In reversing this portion of the conviction the Supreme Judicial Court discussed confusing aspects of the statute pertaining to the words “furnish”, “procure”, “sell” and “deliver”. The Court concluded that what Parent was convicted for did not violate the statute.

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