Sometimes police use sketches and other witness statements to try to make an arrest. Many times these sketches are based on very general features that a witness to an alleged incident remembers. These sketches might be made days after an incident, making many details difficult for some people to remember. This evidence might prove to be unreliable.
A man in New Jersey was arrested last week for burglary. The man was accused of being found outside a person's house, when that person called police and restrained the man until police arrived. Police then announced Tuesday that the man was linked to an alleged sexual assault that happened last year. They say the man matched a sketch of the person who allegedly committed the crime, but they failed to say what other evidence linked the man to the crime.
These charges are especially serious. Not only is the man facing burglary charges, but now he will face serious sexual assault charges. Cases where a person is accused of a sex crime should have a rigorous defense. A conviction of a sex crime can lead to problems acquiring housing and employment as well as public humiliation.
An experienced criminal defense attorney can help a person defense against New Jersey sexual assault charges. These charges can lead to more than just prison time, so it is important to take these charges seriously. Police may try to use improperly acquired evidence, which can be a violation of the rights of the accused. An attorney can help make sure a person's rights aren't violated and help to clear their name.
Source: The Montclair Times, "Montclair police make arrest in year-old sex assault case," Dan Prochilo, Sept. 18, 2012
-Our law firm has experience handling cases similar to the one mentioned in this blog post. To learn more, please visit our criminal defense website.