Sexual Assault Crime Attorney in Maryland
If you are charged with either a misdemeanor or felony sexual assault in Maryland, finding a defense attorney is an important first step to take. The Flynn Law Group focuses on sexual assault defense, and is available for a free consultation regarding your case and the best course of action through your trial. Sexual assault may be defined as either rape or a sexual offense. Rape carries a first or second degree charge, and sexual offenses range from first-degree to fourth-degree depending. Each charge has the potential of serious penalties—the specifics of each sexual assault charge and the associated punishments are listed in greater detail below. Contact The Flynn Group PLLC today to begin working on a defense for your legal situation.
Maryland Sexual Assault Laws
Maryland Rape Charges
Maryland divides rape charges into first- and second-degree assaults. Both are felonies.
- First-Degree Rape is the act of engaging in non-consensual intercourse by force, threats of violence, or death, in connection with a burglary, with assistance, or kidnapping. Additionally, it includes any sexual offense charges involving a victim under the age of 16. The maximum charges of First-Degree Rape in Maryland may be life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
- Second-Degree Rape includes the act of non-consensual intercourse by either threat of or actual injury, if the victim is knowingly incapacitated either mentally or physically (with or without drug or alcohol intoxication), or if the victim is under four years of age and the defendant is four or more years older than the victim. The penalties for a Second-Degree Rape in Maryland, depending on specifics, may carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. In some instances, there may be a maximum of 20 years in prison, but other instances of Second-Degree Rape carry a maximum of a life sentence in prison.
Maryland Sexual Offense Charges
Sexual offense charges differ from rape charges in Maryland and are classified between the first- and fourth-degree. First- and second-degree offenses carry the possibility of a felony.
- First-Degree Sexual Offenses include the forced engaging of a sexual act excluding vaginal intervourse, by threats or actual violence, brandishing a weapon, in connection with a burglary or kidnapping, or with assistance.
- Second-Degree Sexual Offenses occur when there is a non-consensual sex act performed other than vaginal intercourse, and the victim is mentally or physically incapacitated. Additionally, statutory rape is included in Second Degree Sexual Offenses.
- Third-Degree and Fourth-Degree Sexual Offenses are generally misdemeanor crimes, and can include any sexual contact not defined as rape that involve dangerous weapons, assault of mentally disabled victims, or certain circumstances of statutory rape and non-felony sexual offenses.
Finding the best defense attorney for a Sexual Assault Case in Maryland
Whether you are charged with rape or a sexual offense of any degree, The Flynn Law Group PLLC available to work with you to determine the best solution for your case. Register for a free consultation today, so that we may begin to understand your case and find the best course of action for your situation.