Good Criminal Defense Attorney in Houston, Texas
If you have been arrested in Houston, Texas for a sex crime, then you need a good criminal defense attorney who cares as much about the best possible outcome of your case as you do. I believe that you deserve to be treated with respect and to have a good criminal defense lawyer on your side who will fight to protect your rights above all else.
When you have been charged with a sex crime in Houston, Texas the best lawyer for you is an attorney who practices in criminal law. I am an experienced criminal defense lawyer, with over 14 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney and prosecutor. I have worked on a wide range of criminal cases as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. If there's one thing that I have learned over the years, it is that anyone can make a mistake, and mistakes have the potential to change a person's life forever. I do not believe that your future should be lost because of a single error in judgment.
There may be no other category of crime that can do as much harm to a person's reputation as an allegation of a sex crime. Even the suggestion that you may have committed a sex crime has the potential to destroy personal and professional relationships.
I know what is at stake and understand how embarrassing it is to be accussed of a sex crime. I believe in the presumption of innocence, which means I am not here to judge you, I am here to defend you. I treat every client with respect and handle every case with the utmost discretion and tact. I will be there with you at every step and see your case through to the end.
In addition, a conviction for a sex crime will result in a criminal record that follows you for the rest of your life, and the requirement to register as a sex offender for at least 10 years and possibly the rest of your life. The requirement to register as a sex offender extends past any probation or parole that you received in your case, and failure to register is a distinct crime in itself.
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Article 62.102. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person is required to register and fails to comply with any requirement of this chapter. (b) An offense under this article is: (1) a state jail felony if the actor is a person whose duty to register expires under Article 62.101(b) or (c); (2) a felony of the third degree if the actor is a person whose duty to register expires under Article 62.101(a) and who is required to verify registration once each year under Article 62.058; and (3) a felony of the second degree if the actor is a person whose duty to register expires under Article 62.101(a) and who is required to verify registration once each 90-day period under Article 62.058.
The crime commonly referred to as Rape is called Sexual Assault, Penal Code §22.01; and the crime commonly referred to as Statutory Rape is called Indecency with a Child, Penal Code §21.11, although there is an overlap between the Sexual Assault statute and the Indecency with a Child statute.
In Texas, the age of consent is 17. But it is an affirmative defense to consensual sex if the alleged victim is 14, 15, or 16 years of age, and you are not more than 3 years older than the alleged victim and of the same sex as the alleged victim. However consent is not an issue and you can be prosecuted regardless of your age, if the alleged victim is less than 14 years of age.
Also in Texas, the age of consent does not apply if you are an educator who is caught having a sexual relationship with a student at the school where you teach, you can be prosecuted even if the student is 18 years old. Penal Code §21.12.
In many cases, it seems that our criminal justice system operates more from an assumption of guilt, rather than from assuming the person charged is innocent until proven guilty. When the best possible outcome matters, contact the Houston, Texas, Law of Office of Mark A. Morasch today for a free initial consultation.
I have been practicing law for over 14 years, and I have represented clients in a wide range of sex crimes, including:
- Sexual Assault
- Aggravated Sexual Assault
- Indecensy with a Child
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Public Lewdness
- Indecent Exposure
- Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student
- Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
Get the Help You Need 24/7 from a Good Criminal Defense Lawyer in Houston, Texas
If you have been arrested for a Sex Crime in Houston, then contact my office to discuss your case today. You can speak to someone weekday or weekend, day or night by calling 713-got-aDWI (that's 713-468-2394) or you can use the e-mail link for a response the next business day. In criminal cases I offer payment plans, and I accept Visa and MasterCard. Program 713-got-aDWI into your cell phone now, because you never know when you'll need help.
