Criminal Defense

As an adult, you know well that a sexual encounter with a minor could lead to charges of statutory rape. If they are too young, they are not legally able to consent to the encounter, and that means that you have broken the law even if they technically told you that...

You should not take assault and battery charges lightly. You could end up spending considerable time in jail, on top of having to live with a criminal record. If you face such charges, you might think claiming you acted in self-defense is your best bet, but it is not...

The legal threshold of a criminal conviction is pretty high. The prosecution has to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and evidence plays a significant role in that. It helps the jury arrive at a verdict. Given its importance, there are rules on how evidence...

If you're facing criminal charges and a witness gives an account of what happened that you know does not line up with what actually took place, it's natural to assume that the witness is lying. However, you may be perplexed as to why they would lie about what happened...

Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific traumas kids can endure. There certainly is a need to protect children from these acts whenever possible. However, there is another side of the coin that also needs to be closely scrutinized: False allegations of sexual...

In West Virginia, if a person is the victim of abuse by a household member, he or she can request a protective order from the court. A household member includes a spouse or ex-spouse, intimate partner, a person the victim dated, a person with whom the victim has a...

The police suspect you of committing a crime -- and you’re concerned about what they might find on your phone that could incriminate you, whether that’s photos, chats or texts.  Can a passcode keep the police at bay? Maybe -- but it would be unwise to count on it.  A...

The holiday season is famous for fun, food -- and family drama. For the most part, the annoyances that come with dealing with your least-favorite relatives are worthy of no more than some heavy eye-rolls. What happens, however, if the drama between two people with...

In this blog, we often discuss sex offenses, including child abuse and assault. Indeed, last week, we explored what qualifies as sexual assault in West Virginia, including penalties. And, in this blog, we will analyze sexual abuse. What is sexual abuse? Sexual abuse...

While any allegation of a crime should be treated seriously, those accused of a sex crime should understand the severity of these allegations, as they could carry with them harsh penalties that could follow them for years, decades or the rest of their lives. Thus, it...