James E Crawford Jr., Attorney for Sex Offense cases
Defendants charged with sexual assault or child sex offenses face hostile prosecutors and harsh public opinion. Many people in this country , even some criminal defense attorneys, are only too willing to believe the worst about those accused of sex offenses. At the Law Office of JAMES E CRAWFORD JR. & ASSOCIATES, LLC. , we know not all people accused of sex offenses are in fact guilty of the charges. We believe that those facing such charges deserve the best possible defense and representation.
JAMES E. CRAWFORD JR. represents clients facing all types of sex crime charges, including:
- Sexual assault and rape
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Child molestation
- Indecency with a child
- Indecent exposure
- Online solicitation of a minor
- Possession of Child Porn
Are you under investigation for a rape, sexual assault, or a child sex crime? Contact us immediately for a free confidential consultation.
Fighting For the Rights and Freedom of Those Accused
At the Law Office of JAMES E. CRAWFORD JR. & ASSOCIATES, we focus our practice on protecting the rights of our clients to give them every opportunity to be successful. As an experienced sexual assault and child sex offense lawyer, JAMES E. CRAWFORD JR. has successfully defended many clients facing these serious charges. In some cases, we have even stopped the State or Federal Government’s investigation, resulting in no charges being filed. In other cases, we have obtained mitigated charges and reduced penalties, and in still other cases, we have won the cases themselves via jury trials.
These cases are treated differently and a conviction carries long sentences and life-long registration. You need an attorney that is motivated to help you. Unfortunately, many people feel that a person accused of a sex crime does not deserve a good defense. If the person is responsible, some attorneys feel that he or she always deserves to go to prison.
Maryland sex offense lawyer James E Crawford Jr., knows that the state/Federal Government must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and in sex cases, the state/Feds often has a case resting on one person’s word against another’s.
Dedicated to Your Defense
Unfortunately, many times people confess to committing sex crimes such as rape, sexual assault or child abuse. Even in cases where the confession may not be admissible at trial, an experienced lawyer has his work cut out for him keep his client from going to prison. If you hire attorney James E Crawford Jr., he will fight to help you avoid lifetime registration as a sex offender and avoid a prison sentence. James Crawford Jr. has handled many thousands of criminal cases. He has defended clients against many different kinds of sex offenses in courts all over the State of Maryland.
With a Skilled Attorney on Your Side, You May Avoid Criminal Charges
From the very beginning, defense lawyer James E Crawford Jr examines the evidence against you and provides thorough investigation to uncover the truth. Our goal is to make sure that the prosecutor or grand jury hears the truth and the consistent evidence of your innocence.
If you have been wrongfully accused - either by mistake or by a person who wants to hurt you - Jim will often have you take a lie detector test.(Not in every case). Because of the value of this test, if you pass, the prosecution may decide not to pursue charges at all. Also, our private investigator will meet with witnesses and your accuser, if possible, to uncover any inconsistencies or evidence of malice in the accusation.
Continued Defense throughout Your Case
If our careful investigation does not result in dismissed charges at this point, we will continue to collect all evidence favorable to our client and work to suppress any evidence that was part of an illegal search - all to convince a grand jury of the truth. A prosecutor may let this special jury decide whether there is enough evidence to charge our client.
Cross-Examination of Child Witnesses
Attorney James E Crawford Jr. believes that in order to cross examine a child witness, the attorney needs to find out as much about that witness as possible. Normally most lawyers try and ask leading questions that they know the answers to. Unlike an adult, child witnesses are unpredictable and this technique may not work as well. James E Crawford Jr also believes that this technique is overrated in general. In these types of cases, Jim believes that it is important to have a discussion with a child witness. After all, the jurors are especially critical if an attorney tries to scream at a child who says they were a victim. So rule one with child witnesses is to go slow and be friendly. If you go slow and are friendly then the child may end up giving you valuable information during their testimony.
It is always best to find out as much about the child as possible. Knowing what kind of activities the child likes may soften the child up and also shows the jury that you are not a bad person. Also, by finding out more information about the child one can sometimes catch discrepancies in their videos or discrepancies in the offense report.
It also important to understand the family history. An attorney needs to try and understand what the child gets in trouble for. Normally, a child lies for the same reason that an adult lies. Children lie to get out of trouble or perhaps to get attention.
Often times, when you ask the child whether they remember this or that, the child will say they do not remember. One of the primary defenses in these types of cases is that the parents or Social Services asked leading questions and drilled these allegations into the child’ mind. If the attorney asks leading questions then it is difficult to tell the jury that the questions posed to the child by her parents or by Social Services were inappropriate. The key in cross-examining the child is to get as much good information from them as possible without alienating the jury.
The first thing an attorney should do in preparing to cross-examine a child witness is to obtain as many records on them as possible. Normally, this would include medical records, school records, and CPS records. Many attorneys assume that the offense report which the state has in its possession contains all of the allegations. Once you obtain the CPS records there are often times multiple allegations. Some of these reports show that when the child was first interviewed she did not disclose any allegations of sexual abuse. Obviously, it is best to try and interview the child or the child’s parents personally, but most of the time these witnesses are not willing to talk.
If the child is very young, a defense attorney can challenge his or her competency to testify. Then the court will have to have a competency hearing to determine whether or not the child can testify. The child must be intelligent enough to respond to the questions which are asked. Normally, this means that the child must know the difference between the truth and a lie.
If you think you are under investigation for sexual assault, child pornography or rape, don’t hesitate. Talk immediately with a defense lawyer who can fight the accusations. For a free confidential consultation, please call defense attorney James Crawford Jr.
We know that being accused of a sex crime can be embarrassing and that being convicted is far worse than embarrassing. For a free confidential consultation, please contact us at 443 709 9999 or after hours at 443 8291446.