Innocence Legal Team Blog

If you’ve been accused of a sex crime, you’re probably terrified, and you should be. California prosecutors take these cases seriously. And if you wait too long or hire the wrong lawyer, the system will move forward without your side of the story.

You never thought it could happen to you. But now, someone has accused you of sexual assault. Your world is upside down. You haven’t been arrested (yet), but you know the clock may be ticking.

You trusted your lawyer to fight for your life. But now… they’ve all but disappeared. They won’t answer your calls. They’re not updating your family. You’re left in the dark at the worst possible time. So what do you do when your lawyer stops communicating with you?

You’re scared, overwhelmed, and your attorney keeps saying the same thing: “Just take the deal.” But something doesn't feel right.

You’ve put your future in the hands of an attorney, and now you’re wondering if that was a mistake. They’re not returning calls. They haven’t investigated your case. You’re facing serious charges, and it feels like they’re just waiting for you to take a plea deal. So you’re asking the question: Can ...

The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Movement: Good Intentions, Flawed Methods The modern system of investigating child sexual abuse has its roots in Senator Walter Mondale's 1973 hearings, which led to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974. While this legislation undoubtedly helped ...

Being accused of a sex crime in California is a nightmare, one that can destroy your life before you ever set foot in a courtroom.

If you have just been convicted of a sex crime, is there any hope? The answer is yes. Generally, there are three post-conviction relief procedures:

A false sex crime charge and an attorney without a winning strategy. You may be asking yourself, what else can go wrong? Without an effective strategy (a compelling theory of your case) there is no path to victory. But I’m innocent, you tell yourself. I’m entitled to the presumption of innocence, ...

Patrick Clancy is the Founder of the Innocence Legal Team, California’s preeminent sex crime defense law firm. With over four decades of experience in defending those wrongfully accused of Sex Crimes, Patrick Ewing Clancy is the nation’s foremost authority on sex crime justice in America, or ...