Our legal system treats sex offenses as extremely serious crimes. Neither society nor the law tolerates these crimes, so offenders oftentimes receive very harsh legal and social penalties. Being charged with a sex crime can be extremely frightening because of the many ramifications one will experience if convicted. However, if you’re facing a sex crimes charge, you have the right to defend yourself. You have a right to build your case and present the evidence to the jury.
Fighting a criminal charge can be difficult, time-consuming and stressful. It’s important to take the right steps as you defend yourself against the charges. With the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney, however, you may be able to successfully protect your rights and freedoms. An experienced sex crimes attorney can help you fight the charges against you and protect your rights. The attorneys at Bruno Law Offices represent individuals facing sex crimes charges in the Champaign area. Contact the Champaign sex crimes lawyers of Bruno Law Offices at (217) 328-6000 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Why You Need a Lawyer
When you’re facing a sex crimes charges, you’re up against trained professionals who want to ensure that you’re convicted of the charges. If the police violate your rights, it’s up to you to raise the issue with the court. You must identify the defenses that apply to your case and take the right steps to question witnesses and present the defense to the jury aggressively.
A sex crimes attorney has the necessary training and experience to go up against the police and the state attorneys. They know how to evaluate your case, identify viable defenses, and pursue all of the defense strategies that may help you. In addition, when you’re considering plea offers, an attorney can help you determine whether to accept the offer or elect to have a jury trial. With experienced counsel by your side, you’re not fighting alone. Instead, you have trained professionals working hard to save you from the harshest penalties, or even clear your name.
Why Choose Bruno Law Offices?
The attorneys at Bruno Law Offices have decades of experience representing clients in criminal defense cases in both Illinois and federal courts. Since 1980, Thomas Bruno has represented good people facing criminal charges. When all hope seems lost, the Bruno Law Offices lawyers are ready and dedicated to help you through this difficult time and reach the best resolution to your case.
Our attorneys focus on helping you manage all aspects of the criminal charges against you. We know that facing a sex crimes charge can be life-changing and extremely stressful. Let us put our experience and dedication to work fighting for you when you’re facing a sex charge or other criminal charges in Illinois.
We Can Defend Your Sex Crime Case
Our criminal defense lawyers have the experience necessary to provide a strong defense for you in court. We have handled numerous types of sex crime cases, including the following:
Successfully fighting the charges against you involves great attention to detail. Our attorneys know the defenses that may apply to your case and how to assert them properly. Even if you think it’s hopeless, our trained lawyers may find defenses and strategies that can significantly advance your position.
Sex Crime Penalties
Sex offenders often receive a number of harsh penalties upon conviction. Some of the punishments you may face if you’re convicted of an Illinois sex crime include:
- Fines — In a sex crimes case, the fines can total thousands of dollars.
- Supervision fees — If you’re placed on probation or parole, the court may order intensive counseling, therapy, drug testing, and other court supervision. Of course, the court doesn’t help you pay for any of the things that they order you to do. It’s up to you to pay for your court-ordered treatment and probation supervision fees.
- Jail or prison time — Judges like to make sure the public knows that they’re tough on crime. Unfortunately, that means individuals convicted of sex crimes often face long jail or prison sentences.
- Court-ordered counseling and community service — The court may order you to participate in mandatory counseling, mental health assessments, and community service hours. You’ll need to you to complete the requirements, including finding transportation to required activities.
- Sex offender registry — The state of Illinois maintains a sex offender registry. This list is public information, and anyone can access it. Also, there are tedious reporting requirements for individuals on the list. A sex offense conviction can bring a label of a sex offender that sticks with you for life.
- No contact — You may be ordered to have no contact with one or more individuals during your term of probation or parole.
Other penalties that are not directly part of the court’s order accompany any sex crime conviction. Having a sex crime on your record can make it very challenging to get a job. You may be barred from volunteering at your child’s school or anywhere else. If you have children, the family court may modify your custody order or require that your visitation with your child is under supervision.
In other words, a sex crime conviction can stay with you for life. However, if you’re not convicted of the charges, the court doesn’t issue a sentence of any kind. If you negotiate a plea to reduced charges, you will not face the punishments associated with the original charge. Although the consequences of a sex crime can be daunting, there are things that you can do to lessen the penalties against you by aggressively defending against the charges with the help of a Champaign sex crimes lawyer.
Contact Us
If you have been arrested and charged with a sex crime, then you may be facing enormous fines and a lengthy prison sentence. Don’t give up hope. The Champaign sex crimes lawyers of Bruno Law Offices can provide a strong legal defense for your case. Our attorneys have experience defending individuals charged with sex crimes. We know how important your defense is to you. That’s why we work tirelessly to build your claim and guide you through the process of defending aggressively against your sex offense charges. Contact us today at (217) 328-6000 or use our messaging feature to speak with an attorney about your legal options.