Sex Crime Appeals

Sex Crime Appeals and Post-Conviction Services

Michigan Criminal Defense Appellate Law Attorneys

Sex crimes are among the easiest crimes to accuse someone of committing, and the hardest to disprove. In the court of public opinion, simply being accused of a sex offense can make you appear to be guilty in the eyes of others— including jurors. This bias often leads to false convictions and harsh sentencing.

Society considers sex crimes to be among the most violent and heinous of crimes. And, because they are committed against a person, a conviction for a sex offense can incur serious penalties, including required registration as a sex offender on the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry.

Judges are supposed to remain impartial and exercise unbiased authority when making decisions about sentencing, but even the best of judges may sometimes find it challenging to fully separate emotions from fact in cases involving violent crimes— especially violent sex crimes. Judges are educated, trained and experienced professionals, so just imagine the challenges the average juror faces when deciding upon the guilt or innocence of those accused with a violent sex offense.

Innocent People Can be Convicted for Sex Crimes They Did Not Commit

Children often repeat things they have heard in the media, from adults, or peers. Children make poor witnesses because they are easily led, may not fully understand the consequences of lying, and often exaggerate stories and ideas. Children, in general, seek to please authority figures and may be willing to tell lies to please adults. Yet many adults, who have been accused by children of a sex crime, have been convicted based on the child’s testimony and purely circumstantial evidence. If this was the case with your sex crime conviction, contact our appellate law offices today. We may be able to help you even after a conviction.

There have been too many well publicized cases where children have made false allegations against adult caregivers and daycare providers who were convicted and later were found to be innocent. Protective parents, angry ex-spouses, or even nasty neighbors can start a nightmare ball rolling by simply calling the authorities and claiming they suspect sexual abuse of a child. And, sometimes those closest to us also make false or exaggerated allegations of abuse, date rape, or other crimes.

There is tremendous pressure to sympathize with, and believe the victim, and automatically distrust the accused. And, while there are many unfortunate victims, not everyone who makes an accusation tells the whole truth. For this reason the courts are required to follow procedures and the law when it comes to the defendant's rights because innocent people can be accused of crimes they did not commit.

You May Still Have Legal Options Even After You Have Been Convicted of a Crime

If you have been convicted of a sex offense, you may think your fate has been sealed, but that is not necessarily true. Juries and judges can make mistakes, legal errors, and new evidence may come to light— all of these things may afford you the chance to pursue post-conviction rights.

A few of the post-conviction options you may still have include:

• File a motion for a new trial.
• If your sentence was excessive, you may be able to appeal your sentence.
• If you plead guilty and accepted a plea bargain that was not honored, you may be able to motion to withdraw or change your plea.
• If you were found guilty as a result of ineffective counsel you may be able to file a motion for Ginther Hearing.
• Or, perhaps new evidence, such as DNA evidence, can prove your innocence.

Experienced and Aggressive Sex Offense Post-Conviction Motion and Appeal Attorneys

Serving all of Michigan including Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Saginaw

We are experienced trial lawyers and appellate lawyers. We know how to review court records to see if your rights were violated during the trial or sentencing process. If you were found guilty for a crime you did not commit because of ineffective counsel, juror misconduct or bias, or because of something the judge did or failed to do, we may be able to help you.

We offer a wide variety of post-conviction services, including:

• Appeal by Application for Leave
• Appeal of Right
• Applying to the Court for Probation
• Conviction Set Aside/Record Expungement
• Federal Appeals
• Grounds for a Motion for a New Trial
• Michigan Criminal Sentence Appeals
• Michigan Supreme Court Appeals
• Motion for Directed Verdict
• Motion for Ginther Hearing - Ineffective Counsel
• Motion to Change or Withdraw a Plea
• Other Motions and Appeals
• Post-Conviction and Pre-Sentencing Motions

When you hire the law firm of Grabel & Associates, you can count on a thorough investigation into your case and aggressive post-conviction representation to help you improve the outcome of your case.

We offer a free initial consultation. Email our post-conviction services and appeals attorneys or call us at 1-800-342-7896. The statute of limitations is extremely short for filing motions and appeals. The sooner you call, the better your chances are of ensuring you can pursue all your legal options.