Child molestation crimes in Missouri can carry some of the most severe penalties possible. Any crime with a child victim will be handled more seriously at every stage of the process. First, the police will investigate the case more aggressively, and can often make determinations before all of the facts have been gathered.
Next, the prosecuting attorney will often error on the side of protecting the child when there has been an allegation of molestation involving a child, which leads to more vigorous prosecutions.
Finally, judges are likely to hand down harsher sentences in cases involving children. For all of the above reasons it is important to hire an attorney who has the experience and results to aggressively defend a child molestation case. The prosecutor can charge child molestation by using a variety of charges including:
There are several significant differences in defending a crime involving a child victim. First, prosecutors and other people may be more vigilant in the prosecution and persecution of the defendant because the alleged victim is a child. However, cases involving a child tend to have less reliable evidence because children remember events differently than adults.
Further, children may have trouble remembering the incident altogether. Due to the trouble children have testifying in court, Missouri courts allow forms of hearsay evidence in cases with child victims that would not otherwise be allowed in court.
It is important to hire a defense attorney who is familiar with the many differences and intricacies of a case with a child victim. There are procedural steps such as 491 Hearings that only take place in these cases.
A vigorous defense must be mounted at each step of the case for the defendant to have the best chance of the charges getting dismissed or securing an acquittal at trial. Contact The Law Office of Jason A. Korner or call the office in Clayton at (314) 409-2659 to set up a free consultation, evening and weekend appointments available.