Satawa Law, PLLC. recently has won another Title IX hearing, as the office for title 9 and institutional equity at University in Western Michigan “unanimously determined that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the responded engaged in sexual assault or sexual harassment.”Read More

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 Satawa Law, PLLC

Date Rape

Southfield Sex Crime Allegations Defense Attorney

Date RapeDate rape is a layman’s term for sexual activity which was forced between people who know one another in a social context; the DOJ confirms that allegations of sex crimes are one of the most frequently made untrue accusations against an innocent person. Nevertheless there is a huge stigma attached to the mere allegation of any type of sexual abuse, assault or misconduct. Regardless of the circumstances, those who are found guilty of date rape face serious consequences, as it is considered an unwanted sex act, or the more legal term of sexual assault.

He highly qualified and knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys of Satawa Law, PLLC are exceptionally familiar with representing their clients who have been accused of date rape under Michigan law. In order to provide the most effective defense for our clients we rely heavily on DNA evidence, psychological evidence, forensic medical evidence and a full investigation of the facts of your specific case.

All consultations are confidential and completely no-obligation to you. We serve Southfield, Oakland County, metro Detroit, and the entire State of Michigan.

Call the experienced Michigan sex crimes lawyers at Satawa Law, PLLC today for your complimentary, confidential, 30 minute strategy session about your case.

The Seriousness of the Crime

If you have been charged with a sex crime in Michigan, such as date rape, you can face serious jail or prison time, and could end up branded with a lifelong label of sex offender. Each and every time you move you will be required to go through the sex offender registration, meaning the entire community can simply look on the Internet and know who you are and where you live. Perhaps you are 100% certain that you did not commit the crime of date rape, and that your accuser is simply trying to get back at you for a perceived slight or is even regretting having consensual sex so is claiming date rape. Whatever the circumstances, take the charges very seriously, and hire an attorney who takes them equally seriously. Wrongfully accused people have been known to be convicted, so it is imperative that you and your attorney organize the very best defense possible as soon as possible.

Penalties for Date Rape

Depending on the severity of the charges, you could be charged with felony first degree sexual conduct, felony second degree sexual conduct, felony third degree sexual conduct or misdemeanor fourth degree sexual conduct. Felony first degree sexual conduct in which the victim is thirteen or younger and the accused is seventeen or older can bring a mandatory 25 year sentence upon conviction. Otherwise the accused could receive as much as life in prison. Second-degree or third-degree sexual conduct can get you up to 15 years in prison, while the misdemeanor fourth degree sexual conduct is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $500 fine.

Satawa Law, PLLC Defending your rights, protecting your future. 

Fallout of Sexual Abuse Charges

Whatever the exact charges brought against you may be, being charged with any type of sexual abuse or assault brings an entire litany of secondary problems aside from possible prison time and being required to register as a sex offender. You may also lose your job, be unable to get a job you are well-qualified for, lose your children, be shunned by society as a whole and your community in particular and feel that even if you prove your innocence there will still be those who judge you.

Speak With Us & Request A Confidential Consultation

Our team of sex crime lawyers are ready to help defend your rights and protect your future. We understand the life-changing nature of these types of allegations. We never judge or assume; rather, we immediately start to try and determine the best way to win that case. We do that while providing our clients with the empathetic and compassionate guidance they need to get through this difficult time.

We have won the majority of the many cases we have defended at trial, and can use our extensive experience and experience to help you as well. Do not wait for the police or prosecutors to make the first move. Speak with our Southfield defense team now, and allow us to put our knowledge, skill, and expertise to good use.

The Best Defense Strategy Is An Aggressive Offense

Establishing your innocence in cases of date rape can be extremely difficult. Many times date rape cases hinge on the word of only one person, who could be a girlfriend you dumped or a hostile ex-spouse. There are no witnesses to prove your innocence (or disprove her story) making hiring a competent defense attorney all the more important. Simply put, we are not afraid to take on prosecutors. We know that a relentless, effective, and well-thought out defense strategy that does prove your innocence is critical to the success of a case. Because we always prepare every case extensively to win from the very beginning of our representation, we can offer persuasive rebuttals to any allegations brought by the Prosecution. We developed a multi-disciplinary approach, using a team of professionals to investigate and prepare our defense – experts, psychologists, lawyers, trial consultants, investigators, and jury consultants to prepare our client and our case for trial. We employ mock trials, practice direct and cross examinations, focus groups, client reenactments, and interview every possible witness to leave no trial stone unturned, and put the case in the best position to be won. When falsely accused of a crime, we demand that our clients to be treated fairly and equally by the justice system. We defend your rights, and protect your future.

Campus Sexual Assault

A student accused of any sort of a sex crime while attending university or while on campus will be harshly judged by both law enforcement and campus administrators. Without the proper precautions and legal defense, penalties could destroy the student’s reputation, educational chances, and their future wellbeing. You do not need just a criminal defense lawyer, you need an expert. A specialist in defending If you have found yourself in such a situation, contact Satawa Law, PLLC and our Michigan college sex crimes attorneys today. With more than 20 years of experience and hundreds of cases under our belts, you can trust that we will approach your own case with professionalism, a nonjudgmental attitude, and tenacity when going against the opposition.

All consultations are confidential and completely no-obligation to you. We serve Southfield, Oakland County, metro Detroit, and the entire State of Michigan.

We can represent students statewide, at the following universities and many more:

  • Central Michigan University
  • Eastern Michigan University
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Michigan State University
  • University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
  • Wayne State University
  • Western Michigan University
  • Ferris State, Big Rapids, MI
  • Saginaw Valley State University Bay City, MI
  • Hope College Holland, MI
  • Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
  • Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI

False Accusations of Date Rape

We all remember the Duke rape case. But we also seemed to have forgotten the valuable lessons it taught – lessons about false accusations, jumping to conclusions, faulty/false DNA and forensic science, ignoring exculpatory evidence that benefits the accused, and relying on uncorroborated work of the accuser in a she said/he said case. However, the most important lesson from that case is the critical importance of hiring the right lawyers to defend you – specialists that know how to defend a rape case.

As we all know, criminal sexual conduct is the most under reported crime, per Department of Justice statistics. Nevertheless, there is another side to the criminal sexual conduct story. While it is certainly true that criminal sexual conduct is the most under reported crime, those same statistics show that it is also the most over reported crime. That is, there are more instances of false accusations of criminal sexual conduct than any other crime. There are many reasons for this, from the he said/she said nature of a sexual assault accusation, to the fact that the motives for reporting a false accusation are too numerous to count. Furthermore, unlike other crimes there is frequently no other evidence that the crime occurred outside of the complainants word – and in fact the law in Michigan specifically says a jury must be told that no collaborative evidence is needed for a conviction of sexual assault, and that the alleged victim’s word is enough to support a conviction. When a murder occurs, you have a body, and for a robbery you have the property that was stolen. But more often than not, an accusation of criminal sexual conduct rests upon word of the complainant, and can be refuted only by the word of the accused.

These cases are frequently complicated in one way or another by the presence of text messages, snap chats, instar grams, and other forms of social media. The data on teenagers and texting is simply stunning – studies show that over 70% of communication between teens is done by texting. While parents, teachers, and other adults all make fun of the next generation because they never talk to each other, opting instead to text, every single text message that has an accusation in it can be used as evidence to support an allegation of date rape. The girl is texting the guy she met at the football game the night before, telling him that she cannot believe what he did to her last night, and he is replying and saying he is sorry if he went too far because he was drunk, he does not remember, or even that he is sorry that he hurt her. There is frequently no other evidence in the case corroborating the complainant’s accusation other than these texts, but these texts substantially change the course of the investigation and prosecution of a date rape case.

College students need to be acutely aware of the power of false allegations of date rape. An accused student could be harshly penalized by university administration on the word of a former partner. There could be no evidence of actual sexual assault, and perhaps even evidence that consent was given at the time, but the penalties could still follow “just to be safe.” It is not outside the realm of possibility to suggest that a student could knowingly fabricate a tale of date rape solely in an effort to get some sort of revenge against an innocent person they dislike.

Get Ready for a Legal Battle with Our Help

After you are accused of committing sexual assault on campus or any other form of sex crime, the risks are monumental. Criminal prosecution resulting in jail, prison, and a lifetime of sex offender registration is just the start. It is frequently followed by student disciplinary allegations that can result in suspension, expulsion, and removal from campus. Don’t go at it alone. Team up with our Michigan college sex crimes lawyer and start building a case that is ready to protect you from a criminal prosecution, or the quick judgements of a college administrative panel. We will go to any length possible if it means upholding your good name and maintaining your pursuit of an advanced education.

Speak With Us & Request A Confidential Consultation

Our team of sex crime lawyers are ready to help defend your rights and protect your future. We understand the life-changing nature of these types of allegations. We never judge or assume; rather, we immediately start to try and determine the best way to win that case. We do that while providing our clients with the empathetic and compassionate guidance they need to get through this difficult time.

We have won the majority of the many cases we have defended at trial, and can use our extensive experience and experience to help you as well. Do not wait for the police or prosecutors to make the first move. Speak with our Southfield defense team now, and allow us to put our knowledge, skill, and expertise to good use.

The Best Defense Strategy Is An Aggressive Offense

Simply put, we are not afraid to take on prosecutors. We know that a relentless, effective, and well-thought out defense strategy will be critical to the success of a case. Because we always prepare every case extensively from the very beginning of our representation, we can offer persuasive rebuttals to any allegations brought by the Prosecution. We developed a multi-disciplinary approach, using a team of professionals to investigate and prepare our defense – experts, psychologists, lawyers, trial consultants, investigators, and jury consultants to prepare our client and our case for trial. We employ mock trials, practice direct and cross examinations, focus groups, client reenactments, and interview every possible witness to leave no trial stone unturned, and put the case in the best position to be won. When falsely accused of a crime, we demand that our clients to be treated fairly and equally by the justice system. We defend their rights, and protect their future.

What Is Title IX? Why Do Colleges And Universities Investigate Sexual Harassment And Assault?

Title IX is a federal law that says that colleges and universities cannot discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in education. The reason colleges and universities investigate sexual assault under Title IX is because they believe that allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault fall under the goal and parameters of Title IX. The real problem is that it’s absolutely necessary for a student to contact a lawyer if they have been accused of sexual misconduct or domestic violence in a Title IX campus misconduct proceeding. Rather than try to prove their innocence, they should simply keep quiet and contact an experienced attorney who will do the talking for them. Read more

Mark Satawa

Call Today For Your Free Case Strategy Session
(248) 509-0056