Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges for Husband and Wife for Assault on Relative in Austin, MN

In an unusual move, a Minnesota prosecutor has charged a husband and wife both with Sexual Assault in an Austin, Minnesota case.  The husband was charged with one count of first degree criminal sexual conduct.  He was also charged with five counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct, and his bail was set at $500,000. The presumptive sentence under the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines for these charges is at least 144 months (12 years).

An experienced Minnesota sex crimes attorney can give valuable advice to people in cases like this involving various degree of criminal sexual conduct. One is do not give a statement to the police. The police will always claim that you lied about one thing or another.  Even if you just mistakenly recalled some irrelevant details, they will claim you are a lair. Another piece of advice is to get an attorney involved on your side fighting for you early in the process.  Building a case for innocence takes time.  And the prosecutor and the Judge will try to rush you through the process before you can prove your innocence.  In this case, the alleged assailant (husband) was charged, but his wife was charged also, probably to try to extract some cooperation out of her including a statement and testimony against her husband.  The wife was charged with aiding an offender (a felony) and child neglect (a gross misdemeanor).

If you are charged with any level of Minnesota criminal sexual conduct, you need an experienced fighter on your side. A Minnesota Sex Crimes Defense Attorney can get involved on a pre-charging basis and may be able to convince a prosecutor to drop all charges or to charge a less serious crime.  In Minnesota, a person convicted of a criminal sexual conduct of any degree may be banned from working with children, may have to go to prison, may be denied housing or jobs, and may be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his or her life. That’s why anyone who is charged with a Minnesota sex crime needs to call Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys at 952-466-6926 now for help.

Max Keller has won countless jury trial cases involving misdemeanors and felonies, sex crimes, and DWI’s. He is a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, which only allows the top 50 criminal defense attorneys in the state as members. Max is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

Years of Experience: Approx. 20 years
Minnesota Registration Status: Active
Bar & Court Admissions: State of Minnesota Minnesota State Court Minnesota Federal Court 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals State of Maryland

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Can Past Allegations of Sex Crimes Be Used Against You in Minnesota?

One question people charged with a sex crime in Minneapolis, MN, ask is: Can past allegations of sex crimes be used against me? Under Minnesota Rules of Evidence, past sex crime allegations aren't admissible as evidence in court to prove a suspect's character and argue that it contributed to the commission of the current crime. However, there are circumstances in which the court may allow prior allegations or bad conduct as evidence. These circumstances include when the prosecution can demonstrate that prior allegations or acts are key to establishing intent, identity, or pattern of bad conduct related to the current crime.