how important is knowing rape law as a lawyer

by Dawn Mertz 8 min read

Do I need a lawyer for a rape charge?

Apr 10, 2018 · Statutory rape is a crime that involves sexual contact with a person who is under an age specified by law, commonly referred to as the "age of consent." Most states no longer refer to this crime as statutory rape. The legal term for the crime varies from state to state and includes sexual intercourse with a minor, sexual assault of a child ...

What is the crime of statutory rape?

Oct 23, 2021 · Indecent assault is a type of crime that is generally considered a sex crime as it involves indecent acts on the part of the offender such as touching a person’s private parts, genitals, sexual organs, buttocks, pubic area, or other private parts. Sex crimes are highly serious offenses and get you in prison for potentially a long time.

What defenses are available to a statutory rape charge?

Mar 28, 2014 · We live in a country where a Texas defense lawyer called an 11-year-old gang-rape victim ... law Title IX to pressure school ... because most …

Do statutory rape laws take into account relationships between young people?

Mar 28, 2022 · Nundy has since emerged as a leading voice for gender justice and freedom of speech, contributing to the reform of anti-rape laws and fighting cases against sexual harassment in the workplace.

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Why are statutory rape laws important?

Traditionally, statutory rape laws are designed to protect young girls from consensual, nonmarital sexual intercourse. To achieve this objective, the State threatens males with criminal penalties for engaging in intercourse with underage females.

What is the 4 elements of rape?

The traditional offense of rape required proof of five elements: penetration, force and resistance, nonconsent, absence of a spousal relationship (the marital exemption), and a culpable state of mind (mens rea).

What is statutory rape in Philippine law?

No. 8353 sets the age for determining statutory rape at “below 12 years old”. This means that in the Philippines, any sexual intercourse with a minor who has not reached the age of 12 is automatically regarded as rape, even if the minor consented or appeared to have voluntarily engaged in the sexual act.4 days ago

What are the requirements of rape?

What are sexual offence crimes?Rape occurs when a person forces another to have sexual intercourse without their consent. ... Sexual assault occurs when a person sexually violates another person without their consent.More items...

Is rape a crime of intent?

2If rape is a general intent crime, as it is normally classified, evidence of in- toxication cannot be considered, and the state would only have to allege and prove that a rape was committed and that a homicide resulted in the course of its perpe- tration.

What is the penalty for statutory rape in the Philippines?

Rape in the Philippines is considered a criminal offense. In Philippine jurisprudence, it is a heinous crime punishable by life imprisonment when committed against women. Rape of males is also legally recognized as rape by sexual assault, which is penalized by imprisonment of six to twelve years.

What is the difference between rape and statutory rape?

Statutory rape and rape are very different crimes. Rape requires force, fear of other intimidation in order to complete the act of sexual intercourse. Statutory rape is merely the act of having consensual intercourse with someone who you know or should have known is under 18 years of age.Sep 21, 2017

What age is statutory rape in the Philippines?

UNICEF congratulates the Philippine Government for the legislative milestone which now increases the age for determining the commission of statutory rape from below 12 years to below 16 years.Mar 7, 2022

What is a complaint in court?

The complaint is the catalyst of a legal case and the reason that a court appearance must happen. The complaint comes from the plaintiff, is against the defendant, and is a written statement detailing the plaintiff’s claims against the defendant.

What are the most serious crimes?

12. Felonies. Felonies, unlike misdemeanors, are more serious crimes that result in over a year of imprisonment when one is found guilty of the charge. Some felonies that are common include drug abuse, auto theft, arson, assault, manslaughter, rape, fraud, and forgery.

What are the pieces of courtroom terminology?

20 Important Pieces of Courtroom Terminology. 1. Plaintiff. The plaintiff is one side of every legal case. The plaintiff is the person, group, or business who files a complaint with the courts. 2. Defendant. The defendant is the opposite of the plaintiff and the other party in every legal case. The defendant is defending ...

What is a summons in court?

Summons. A summons is a legal document that requests a defendant appear in court. Summons are different than a subpoena in that it requests an appearance and is solely intended for a case defendant. A summons can be hand delivered by a sheriff, a server, or it can be mailed. 8.

What is settlement in court?

Settlement. A settlement is what occurs when either the plaintiff or defendant decides to come to terms in regards to their dispute outside of court. Settlements are usually in the form of a monetary payment to the affected party that satisfies them but does not require the party offering the settlement to admit fault.

What is the meaning of jurisdiction in civil cases?

5. Jurisdiction. The jurisdiction refers to the court that will hear the civil case. For most civil cases, the court that has jurisdiction decides on which court will hear the case. In federal court cases, jurisdiction is decided upon when the plaintiff and defendant are from different states and the claim exceeds $75,000. 6.

What is a deposition in court?

Depositions are spoken statements taken both under oath and outside of court. They give the defendant and plaintiff a broad idea of what the other will be saying during court proceedings. It is not uncommon for the plaintiff to get a deposition from the defendant and vice versa.

What happens if you have sex with someone under the age of consent?

A person who has sex with someone under the "age of consent" can face a variety of criminal charges depending on the state. By Lauren Baldwin, Contributing Author. Defend your rights.

What age can you have a sexual relationship in Romeo and Juliet?

Such laws may prohibit sexual contact of or intercourse with a person under a certain age only by an individual: of a certain age (such as 18) or older, or. a certain number of years older than the alleged victim (such as "at least three years older").

What is the Romeo and Juliet exception?

A few states have "Romeo and Juliet" laws that expressly limit the exception to situations where the two people engaged in sexual activity are of the opposite sex. Under those laws, if the defendant and victim are of the same gender, the Romeo and Juliet exception provides no defense to the statutory rape charge.

How long does a felony go to jail?

The punishment for a felony offense can vary from just over a year for a less serious felony to many years in prison. A sentence for statutory rape most likely will depend on the ages of the offender and the victim and the circumstances of the offense.

Is the mistake of age defense a statutory defense?

Most states reject this mistake of age defense and treat the defendant's mistake or ignorance about the victim's age as irrelevant to guilt under statutory rape laws, even where the victim has intentionally misrepresented his or her age.

Can a judge impose a fine on a convicted person?

If the offense occurred in a consenting, ongoing relationship between young people close in age, the judge may have the option and willingness to be more lenient. A court also can impose a fine on a person convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony offense.

What Is Indecent Assault

Indecent assault is an assault crime that is generally characterized as a sex crime.

Indecent Assault Definition

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, indecent assault is defined as:

Indecent Assault vs Aggravated Indecent Assault

What is the difference between indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault?

Indecent Assault Examples

What are some examples of indecent assault crimes so we can better understand the notion?

Consequences of Indecent Assault

Being found guilty of an indecent assault crime can have serious consequences for the defendant.

What is date rape?

This often occurs in the context of date rape, when a victim may be given drugs that heavily impair his or her ability to make decisions or resist the advances of another person. In many states, statutes have been enacted that impose harsh punishments on individuals who commit date rape in order to deter this conduct.

Can you use past sexual offenses as character evidence?

Most states allow evidence of a defendant’s past sexual offenses in cases of rape, contrary to the general rule of evidence that past crimes cannot be used as character evidence. Most states also have rape shield laws that prevent the defendant from looking into the victim’s sexual history.

Who was the first person to introduce the law of negligence?

Care for thy neighbour: In 1932 Mrs Donoghue launched the modern law of negligence, after finding her ginger beer less than appealing. Known to generations of law students as the "snail in the bottle" case, it is best known for Lord Atkin's famous neighbour principle.

Who was the ruling law lord in the Amnesty case?

The case is also well known among lawyers when after the first hearing it was disclosed that that one of the ruling law lords, Lord Hoffmann, was a director of Amnesty International, a party to the cases. The entire hearing had to be repeated to show that "justice must not only be done but be seen to be done.".

What does Denning remind us about?

Denning reminds us that all cases are eventually decided by individuals who are made up of values and personal perspectives that make them who they are. Students, you are encouraged to think, debate and learn the law in the same spirit.

What is the Belmarsh case?

Foreign detainees. Known as the Belmarsh decision, there is no modern case that better sets the boundary between national security and civil liberties. Decided by a panel of nine law lords, the 2004 decision became an important milestone in judges protecting both the rule of law and human rights.

What was the impact of the 1991 Factortame case?

Providing the legal backdrop to a decade of EU-scepticism is the 1991 case of Factortame, this case on the rights of Spanish fisherman to fish in British waters is a mainstay on any public law course. It confirmed the priority of European laws over UK acts of parliament and thus struck a blow against parliament's legal supremacy. In so doing it provoked much constitutional debate about the extent of EU legal powers - and Britain's relationship with Europe as a whole.

What is the significance of the 1973 Supreme Court decision?

The landmark decision in 1973 upheld a woman's right to an abortion. Synonymous with abortion in the USA. Hundreds of thousands march on the US supreme court on the anniversary of the decision each year.

What is Birju Kotecha?

Birju Kotecha. Cases capture human stories, shape public debate and establish new expectations of the state. Their wider effect can reflect society's consciousness but often lead to new laws. Cases and judges' decisions are a law student's bread and butter. Here are a few you will come across:

How is a woman's worth determined?

A woman’s worth is determined, in part, by her sexual purity; a man’s worth is determined, in part, by his sexual prowess. Of course, these beliefs are outdated, and not held by all people. However, they are pervasive and we do see remnants of them in parts of Western society and in some non-Western cultures.

What is open access?

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author (s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Can a woman press charges against another woman for rape?

However, it is also unjust that a woman cannot press charges against another woman for rape.

Is rape a hate crime?

For example, sometimes it might be appropriate to view it as a hate crime against women, or against homosexual men; sometimes it is used as a horrific act of war. Footnote.

What is the law regarding failure to report a crime?

Failure to Report a Crime under Federal Law (18 U.S.C. section 4) Federal law prohibits concealing information about specific crimes. Under 18 United States Code, Section 4, you may be obligated to report a crime if you are directly asked during a criminal investigation whenever:

How long does it take to report child abuse in California?

A mandatory reporter must file a complaint of suspected or actual child abuse or neglect with an appropriate law enforcement or child support services agency within 36 hours of discovery.

What is mandatory reporting?

A mandatory reporter must file a complaint of suspected or actual child abuse or neglect with an appropriate law enforcement or child support services agency within 36 hours of discovery.

What is a misprision of a felony?

Misprision of a felony is a form of obstruction of justice. If you are convicted, you face up to a $250,000 fine, imprisonment up to three years, or both fine and imprisonment.

What is an accomplice liability?

Intentionally encourage and/or facilitate that plan, and. Aid, promote, or instigate in the crime’s commission. You don’t have to be actually present at the scene of the crime to be charged under what is known as “accomplice liability.”. If you willfully participated in the planning of a crime prior to its commission, ...

What happens if you fail to report a report?

Failure to fulfill this legal duty to report, or impeding someone from doing so is a crime in itself and may be charged as a misdemeanor. If you are convicted of failure to fulfill a legal duty as a mandatory reporter, you can be fined up to $1,000 and/or sentenced to serve up to six months in jail. If you willfully prevent someone ...

What does "aiding and abetting" mean?

Penal Code section 31 describes the phrase “aiding and abetting” as meaning that you assisted another person to commit a crime. Prosecutors can charge you as an aider and abettor whenever you: Know the perpetrator’s illegal plan, Intentionally encourage and/or facilitate that plan, and. Aid, promote, or instigate in the crime’s commission.

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