“You raped her because her clothes provoked you.  I should break your face because your stupidity provokes me.”

-Anonymous

 

Society believes that sexual predators are scums of the earth.  They are angry monsters who want to feel powerful and attempt to accomplish this goal by preying on individuals that are unable to defend themselves, such individuals as children and women.   Society deems these persons as creatures that do not deserve to show their faces or live anywhere near decent human beings.  Instead, some members of society believe that these demons should be returned to the pits of hell, left to suffer and endure the same type of pain that they bestowed upon their victims. 

But wait one moment.  Don’t we live in a society where we are deemed innocent until proven guilty?  Haven’t there been cases when innocent people were locked up for years until some type of evidence finally emerged, proving  that the accusers had made up these horrific stories, ruining the lives of the accused?  Hasn’t this happened repeatedly, making us all wonder…who can we trust?

This happened in a case where the teenage daughter accused her own father of raping her.  Later, she admitted that she falsely accused her father because she was upset with him because he refused to allow his daughter to attend a party that lacked adult supervision. 

There was another incident where a man and woman engaged in sexual intercourse.  Forty-eight hours later, the man and woman were seen together in a photo laughing and posing with friends.  According to the woman, the man had forced her to have sex with him 48 hours (two days) before the picture was taken.  Within those two days of the accusation, the female tweeted that she was having a marvelous time with these great people in the photo.  Moreover, she attended dinner parties and conferences with the accused, and according to witnesses, they were inseparable. 

You may ask, “Why would any God-fearing, self-respecting person defend anyone accused of a sexual crime?”  I am glad that you asked.  This question brings me to this very important point:  “All men are innocent until proven guilty.”  In fact, the 6th amendment in the Constitution guarantees an individual the right to a fair, speedy, and public trial.  Moreover, this particular amendment enables a person to have legal assistance, regardless of the charge.  In other words, these rights are given to all men or women under trial despite any or lack of wrongdoing (as indicated in the above examples). 

Some of you may argue that these cases where innocent people are accused are rare.  You may ask, “What about those individuals that are actually guilty of forcing themselves on innocent, helpless victims?”  I would respond by saying that they too have a right to legal assistance, and a fair, speedy, and public trial.   In addition, we must realize that many sexually abused boys actually become abusers themselves.  You ask, “Why?”  They sometimes become abusers because there is a history of family violence.  In addition, abused boys have often been sexually abused by females.  Furthermore, maternal neglect and lack of supervision are also reasons that the abused becomes the abuser.  Of course, a defense attorney does not condone or excuse sexual abuse, regardless of the reasons that may incite this behavior.  However, a defense attorney should be interested in helping these abusers to receive the professional help that they so strongly need to help heal them and stop the vicious cycle from recurring. 

There was a story of a young boy who was molested by his babysitter when he was around 10 years old.  She was an older lady who was in her 40s.  The boy’s mother was aware of the incident, but instead of reporting the vicious act to the police, she decided to remove her child from the care of the perpetrator.   The boy did not immediately recover from the situation.   Eventually, he became a teenager and began to sexually assault older women who happened to resemble his former babysitter.  Obviously, the teenage boy’s misfortunate past was a huge contributing factor to his behavior.  Later, the teenager was captured, tried, and convicted for his crimes.  However, while incarcerated, he received treatment at his assigned unit.  Specifically, he received medication to help him sleep and cope with the abuse he endured, the abuse he bestowed on others, and the fact that he was imprisoned.  Moreover, he was required to attend weekly sessions with his therapists to begin the healing process. 

I mentioned the example above to emphasize that all cases pertaining to sexual abuse are different.  Some individuals are falsely accused, while others have undoubtedly committed sexual acts against others.  Nevertheless, we must realize that a defense attorney is responsible for seeking the truth and providing legal assistance.  As a defense attorney, I may not be able to prevent the initial abuse or accusations of abuse from occurring, but I can do everything in my power to provide my clients with the help that they may desperately need to prevent certain mishaps from recurring.

“Never give up.  Never lose hope. Always have faith, it allows you to cope.  Trying times will pass as they always do.  Just have patience, your dreams will come true.  So put on a smile, you’ll live through your pain, know it will pass and strength you will gain.”

                                                                                                -Charlie Remiggio

I will not give up on my clients because I believe people sometimes make bad choices, but this does not mean that they are bad people.  Furthermore, bad things occasionally happen to good people.  Many factors play a role in the choices that we make.  As a result, I believe that we all need someone to hear our plea…someone to care…and as a defense attorney, I will be that someone and give you the assistance that you rightfully deserve because you are an American citizen protected by our American Constitution.