Columbus Sexual Assault Lawyers

Our Columbus sexual assault attorneys at Yavitch & Palmer can help you fight prosecution and provide effective defense against sexual assault allegations.

Stiff laws and penalties

Prosecutors often aggressively pursue sex crime cases, with the most serious charges brought when the alleged offender is categorized as a sexually violent predator under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2971. One of the following conditions must exist for such categorization:

• Two or more convictions for a sexually-oriented or child-victim-oriented sexual offense
• Documented history from childhood of sexually deviant behavior
• One or more convictions for torture or engaging in ritualistic acts with victim(s)
• One or more convictions for physical harm that put the victim's life in jeopardy

Some of the penalties for sexually violent predator convictions include:

• Aggravated murder—death or life imprisonment without parole
• Rape through force or threat of force on a victim under 10 years of age (and repeated convictions) or when rape resulted in serious physical harm to the victim—life imprisonment without parole
• Offenses other than aggravated murder, murder, or rape—minimum two years to maximum life imprisonment
• First degree felony kidnapping—minimum eight years to maximum life imprisonment
• Rape committed on or after January 2, 2007 on a child age 13 or less—minimum 25 years to maximum life imprisonment
• Rape committed prior to January 2, 2007 on a child older 14 or older adult—minimum 10 years to maximum life imprisonment

Sex offender registries

Ohio sex offender registration complies with guidelines under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA), which establishes the following Tier I, II, and III registrations:

• A Tier I—annual registration for 15 years, but clean record may reduce registration to 10 years
• A Tier II—registration every 180 days for 25 years.
• A Tier III—registration every 90 days for life, unless a juvenile delinquent, in which case the registration period is 25 years if the offender maintains a clean record.

Protection against sexual predators

Many online resources provide tips to avoid sexual assault, such as the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV), which suggests:

Recognizing danger signals Reducing risk Taking precautions on dates or during social activities

Taking precautions at home, when walking, and in your car Approaches for handling threatening phone conversations

Strong advocacy through Columbus sexual assault defense

The admissibility of evidence and how you are charged often lay in the hands of your Ohio criminal defense lawyer. While the Constitution guarantees the right of presumed innocence in court, the media influences public opinion, and time is of the essence. The sooner you procure an experienced criminal defense attorney, the more opportunity your lawyer has to keep your case out of the media, investigate, devise case strategy, and prepare a winning defense.

Contact Yavitch and Palmer today. Call us at 614-224-6142 or fill out our web contact form.