Sex crime accusations and charges are extremely serious and consequential, both inside and outside the court of law. When facing allegations, hiring an attorney from The Rickman Law Firm, the best criminal defense law firm in Tampa, will offer you the expertise to understand the implications of any evidence found, gathered, or seized within the criminal trial process. The representation needed to promote and prove your innocence cannot be attained on your own, and hiring a legal expert who is highly reputable within the court system will heighten your chances of lessened fines or even a dropped case.
One of the most important aspects of the evidence-gathering process of a sex crime case is that the prosecuting party will have to disclose the evidence that has been gathered for the defense to inspect, test, and record within 15 days of filing the Notice of Discovery. This can prove beneficial to your case in that you and your attorney can take an aggressive approach in promoting your innocence to persuade the prosecution to not file any charges against you or for a jury to acquit you.
Some of the evidence that could be gathered and reported, whether in the 15 days or during the entirety of the lengthy investigative process includes, but is not limited to:
- Personal background from witnesses, alibis, and informants, including all persons known to the prosecutor that could have any relevant information to the charged offense allegation
- Personal statements from witnesses, alibis, and informants, including all persons known to the prosecutor that could have any relevant information to the charged offense allegation
- Personal statements, oral or recorded, from the defendant
- Any materials and documents obtained from the defendant seized by the prosecution
- Any evidence gathered via the means of electronic surveillance, including but not limited to wiretapping and electronic device recordings
- Reports or statements made by experts regarding the accused crime, the defendant, or the prosecutor, including physical or mental examinations and any results of scientific tests or laboratory experiments
- Any evidence of material that could be tested for DNA samples
The prosecution is required to include and explicitly disclose any gathered or known information, called exculpatory evidence, within the state’s possession or control that negates the guilt and promotes the innocence of the defendant. There could be a case dismissal with ample, solid exculpatory evidence.