Recently, you read about a pair of two Texas football players who were accused of rape. These young men were arrested, although they denied the charges against them. The article spoke about how this kind of arrest and media coverage could actually damage the young men’s reputations; that may be true, since the men have been suggested as actually having committed the rapes instead of being suggested as possible suspects.
When you face a situation like these men, you face a difficult future. If you are charged with sexual assault, you could be put in prison for two to 20 years. With aggravated sexual assault charges, that time could jump up to 55 to 99 years, since aggravated assault is a first-degree felony in Texas. If you’re charged and convicted of a crime like rape, you will have to register as a sex offender for your entire life, not matter where you relocate or how old you get.
Rapes and sexual assaults are stigmatized, and that means that people like these men could be seen as guilty before anything of the sort is proven. Evidence and facts must be presented in these cases, not just hearsay and media coverage that furthers allegations against young men. If you’re facing the same charges, make sure you know your rights. Don’t accept a plea bargain or plead guilty when you’re facing the charges without the advice of your attorney; what you do now will affect you for the rest of your life.
Understanding all your legal options before entering bargains or pleading guilty is absolutely necessary. You shouldn’t have your reputation ruined over false allegations.
Source: Law Offices of Frank Jackson, “Aggravated Sexual Assault” Aug. 27, 2014