Innocence Legal Team Blog

When a California jury returns a guilty verdict in a sex crime case, the courtroom goes quiet, and for the defendant, the world narrows to a single question: what happens next? The answer, in many cases, is an appeal. But the appellate process is nothing like a trial. There is no jury. There are no ...

In child pornography cases, the distinction between possessing and distributing illegal material can determine whether a defendant faces years in state prison or decades in a federal facility. That distinction often hinges on a single factor: intent. Did the defendant knowingly share files, or did ...

In California child molestation cases, the testimony of a child witness is frequently the primary, and sometimes the only, evidence presented by the prosecution. Juries tend to believe children, and the emotional weight of these allegations can overwhelm rational fact-finding. But children are also ...

A rape conviction in California can mean years in state prison, mandatory sex offender registration, a permanent strike on your record, and the loss of your career, your relationships, and your freedom. But a conviction at trial does not have to be the final word. If legal errors occurred during ...

Being accused of something you did not do can turn your life upside down in an instant. False allegations often arrive without warning and can significantly impact your freedom, career, relationships, and sense of safety. While every situation is different, understanding what false allegations are ...

Understanding sexual assault vs sexual abuse is essential for anyone facing allegations, supporting someone involved in a case, or seeking clarity about how these charges are defined under the law. Although these terms are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation, they refer to distinct ...

When someone is accused of harming a child, few pieces of evidence carry as much weight—or create as much confusion—as the medical evaluation of broken bones. In many sex crime cases, a fracture is interpreted as supporting evidence of abuse even when the science behind pediatric injuries is far ...

Medical sex examinations, often conducted as part of an alleged abuse investigation, refer to the physical and medical evaluation performed by qualified healthcare or forensic professionals. The intention is to assess signs of possible sexual abuse, document injuries or evidence, and collect ...

In criminal courts across the United States, expert witnesses and prosecutors have occasionally used Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS) to explain a complainant’s behavior following an alleged sexual assault. While originally developed to help clinicians understand the psychological effects of trauma, RTS ...

For decades, shaken baby syndrome (SBS) was considered undeniable proof of child abuse. Doctors, prosecutors, and juries across the United States accepted the theory as fact, believing that certain internal injuries in infants could only result from violent shaking. However, new research and case ...